When life gives you lemons
by missy7293
Summary: Daryl Dixon makes a heart wrenching decision to leave the group in order to help a pregnant woman he has found in the woods. He has plans to return once he finds her a safe place, but will he be able to leave her after he gets to really know her.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own the walking dead or any of its characters.

Anna-Maria Bettatucci always had a good outlook on life. No matter what life had thrown at her, she had always persevered. Even with the world gone crazy and the dead walking, she still managed to try and find the good left somewhere. It had been a tough year for her. She had lost her husband of 20 years, and was now 8 months pregnant and alone. She had scratched, clawed, and scrambled to survive all while carrying a child. The circumstance, in which the child was conceived were not ideal, but was anything ideal anymore in this mad world?

Here she was, walking by herself through the woods of rural Georgia; not exactly sure where she was, but following a creek she hoped would lead her to a town where she could scavenge for some supplies. She looked ridiculous in her jeans, boots, and tank top that barely covered her ever-growing belly. However, it was summer, it was Georgia, and it was hot as hell. Walking through the woods and trying to pay attention to the area around her, she didn't see a hole that was in front of her. She stepped in the hole, turned her ankle and fell to the ground. Panic immediately enveloped her as she hit the ground hard. A pain seared through her ankle, and she suddenly grabbed her stomach in fear for her unborn child. Fortunately, everything seemed to be all right except for her ankle. She tried to get up, but she was unable to put any weight on her bad leg. "Just great" she said. She managed to drag herself over to a tree where she could assess her injuries and get herself up off the ground.

"Son of a bitch this hurts" she said. She hobbled around to find something she could help support herself with and found a sturdy tree branch. While she was trying to maneuver the stick so it could support her weight and allow her to still carry her pack, she didn't hear the person coming through the woods near her. She looked up startled when she finally realized he was near her. She immediately swung the stick like a bat as a means of self-defense.

"Woah lady, I ain't gonna hurt you" he said. He noticed immediately that she was very pregnant and stepped back to show her that he meant her no harm.

"Who are you?" she said, looking at him trying to determine if he was a danger to her.

"Daryl Dixon" he said, "I'm out here trying to find dinner for my group. Can I ask why you are out here by yourself, this ain't a safe place for someone in your condition?"

"I have no where else to go, I'm just trying to survive, trying to find some place to scavenge some supplies."

"Don't you have a group or something?" Daryl said, assuming there had to have been at least one other person since folks don't get pregnant by themselves.

"Used too, but that didn't work out so good, it's just been me for a while, now if you will let me on my way" She said.

He thought about it, but she was in no condition to be on her own, and even he wasn't that thoughtless. But what would the group think if he brought her back with him? He convinced himself that they would understand.

"Come with me back to my group. I can't leave you out here by yourself. We have food, shelter and a place for you to sleep. People can't survive on their own, it took me a while to accept that."

She looked at him; amused that he shared a little bit of insight with her. She was hungry, and she was tired, and she was tired of being by herself. "OK, but I messed up my ankle and I am not going to be able to walk very fast."

"I will help you, even I ain't that heartless. It's about a mile or so from here, Oh Fuck….." They were interrupted by the unmistakable sound of the dead walking. Five walkers appeared from the woods around them. Daryl picked up his weapon of choice, a crossbow and let a bolt fly. As he began taking out the group of walkers, one had slipped by him. Anna-Maria swung her branch hard enough to knock it down, and then grabbed a knife from her belt and stabbed the walker in the head. She lost her balance and tumbled over the dead walker. Lucky for her, Daryl had made quick work of the other four walkers, three with bolts and one by just bashing the skull in with his crossbow.

"Pretty impressive" she said as he walked over to her and helped her get up.

"I don't think I caught your name" Daryl said.

"Anna-Maria Bettatucci" she said.

"Damn that's a mouthful. Do you have a shorter version?"

"Just Anna will work fine for me Mr. Dixon" She gave him a smile and her big brown eyes lit up. She was actually happy to be talking to someone again. It had been a while since she had a conversation.

"Ok Anna, let me help you, and just call me Daryl" he said. He wondered where the baby's father was, but didn't want to ask, assuming something bad had happened to him. She wasn't a young girl, she actually looked to be around his age, but she seemed strong, and kind, her eyes seemed to smile. It hadn't taken much to convince her that he wasn't going to hurt her, and he wondered why she was so trusting.

He helped her as she limped along as they walked back to his group.

"Oh my God, it's a prison, Genius" she exclaimed out loud. There were still a lot of walkers out in the yard, but they were separated from the actual cellblocks.


	2. Chapter 2

Anna was tired. She had been having what she assumed were pre-labor contractions for the past few days and between the walking, surviving, and carrying of the baby, she was just worn out. Daryl had managed to get the attention of a boy who opened the gate for them. He was probably around 13-14 years old and wore a sheriff's hat. She found out his name was Carl and he was the son of the head of the group, a former Sheriff's deputy named Rick Grimes. Carl noticed how pregnant Anna was, and had an odd haunted look in his eyes, but said nothing. He addressed Daryl,

"Where did you find her? Are you sure she isn't with anyone else?"

Daryl responded "She was in the woods, by herself, no one else was around. Carl, look at her, I couldn't just leave her there, and I shouldn't have to justify myself to you, where's your dad?"

"Dad's out back tending to the crops, guess we are gonna need to step up since we will have more mouths to feed" Carl snapped.

"Hey kid, drop it, what was I supposed to do? You let me worry about this, now I gotta talk to your dad" Daryl said.

Anna said nothing and observed the conversation. The kid was angry, and she hoped that the others in the group might be a little more accepting. She was just so physically and emotionally spent that she just didn't know if she would be able to go back out and fend for herself. However, she would if she had too, this baby was all that she had left of the love of her life. It seemed that even though the country boy who came upon her in the woods seemed to understand her plight, the reaction of the teen had made her wonder what others would feel about her just showing up and invading their group.

Daryl turned to her and offered her an apology. "He lost his mom during child birth not too long ago, he had to put her down to keep her from turning, it has messed with his head a bit, but don't you worry, his daddy is a good man, this won't be no problem."

Anna looked relieved and hoped he was right. She smiled a beautiful happy smile and said to Daryl, "I don't know how I will ever be able to repay you, I know this has put you in an awkward spot. But trust me, I will make it up to you somehow." He smiled at her (as best as Daryl could smile) and simply stated "Only did what was right, I'm no knight in shining armor." She just shook her head and said "Well you are to me, you are heaven sent." He laughed at the thought of him, Daryl Dixon, being sent from Heaven.

"Well come on, we gotta talk to Rick and see about getting you settled in here. You probably would like to take a load off of those feet." She nodded and thought to herself…."If you only knew." She was pretty sure things were going to get better, she just prayed she wasn't getting her hopes up for no reason.

They walked around to the back of the prison; Daryl was purposely slow as to not wear her out anymore than she was. He felt sorry for her. She was alone, and he wasn't sure what had happened to the child's father. Was it a tragic loss, was it a horrific crime that had been committed against her, he wasn't sure. When Lori had been pregnant with little ass kicker, she had toughed out the pregnancy much better than he thought she would, but look at the final result. He barely knew Anna, but he certainly didn't want a similar fate to fall on her. Yes, women had been having babies for thousands of years without top-notch medical care, but cemeteries were also full of mamas and babies that didn't make it through the event. He already felt responsible for her well being, and maybe the fact that he surprisingly liked children made him even more sympathetic to her plight. Just because he had a shitty childhood didn't mean he didn't want the best for others. This was a New World, and this was a new Daryl Dixon.

As they looked down the hill, he saw Rick tending to the garden with Hershel. Both men looked up and stared as they saw the new face with Daryl. Rick immediately started walking towards Anna and Daryl with a stern look on his face. Anna became a bit nervous, but smiled her best smile and stuck out her hand as she said, "Hi, I'm Anna, you must be Rick Grimes." He looked at her with no emotion, and her heart sank a bit. "Daryl, we need to talk" was his only reply.


	3. Chapter 3

**So if you haven't picked up on this yet, I have never written a story in my life. This is all new to me, and I am sure I have made some rookie mistakes. That being said please feel free to review, just be gentle so I don't need to increase my prozac levels LOL. I have Rick being somewhat of an Ass here, so please forgive me. That being said, Robert Kirkman is a genius and the Walking dead and its original characters are his, not mine. Hope you enjoy.**

Rick saw her and was immediately reminded of Lori. The mental anguish still going strong, even after all these months. He was reminded of all the things he didn't do right, that he had failed her and was unable to do anything about it to make it right. He glimpsed down the hill at the grave that was there to memorialize her, but it was an empty grave. He couldn't even give her a proper burial in the end. The over-whelming guilt washed over him. He looked at Daryl and Anna and spoke in a monotone voice. "She can't stay." It was a matter of fact statement, cold and calm. Anna just blinked in disbelief, looked at him and nodded. Daryl spoke up, obviously agitated. "What? Look at her Rick, she can't go out there by herself, She is in no condition to fend for herself and that fucking Governor is out there still, you can't let her go back out there alone, I won't allow it."

Rick replied, "I said she can't stay. I'm sorry, but we have enough problems just trying to provide for Judith, she can rest here for the night, but in the morning she is gone. We can give her some supplies, maybe one of the old vehicles from the garage, but she has to leave." Daryl looked him in the eyes, trying to get some sense of why he was thinking this way. It dawned on him, Rick saw Anna as a repeat of Lori. Daryl spoke calmly to Rick "Rick, I get what you are thinking, but I can't allow you to send her out there to die. If you send her out, I am going to go with her to find her some place safe. I left when you wouldn't allow Merle to come back to the prison, and Merle was capable of taking care of himself, but this is different and I ain't letting it happen." Anna couldn't believe what she just heard. Was this really happening? She knew she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. This world was a mess, and her being pregnant was a fluke, but she couldn't do anything to change it. She finally spoke up in her sweet southern voice "Rick, I don't know you, but I understand your feelings. If you could just let me rest for a few hours, I will be out of here. And Daryl, I appreciate your concern, but I have no right to take you away from your people and your life here. I have been on my own for a few months now, and I have been lucky enough to survive. I'm so sorry to put you in this predicament."

Rick ran his fingers through his hair and over his weary face. He looked at Daryl and Anna, considering the situation again. Daryl was sure that reason would win over and Rick would change his mind. Anna didn't know what to think. Finally he spoke, "No, she needs to go. First light in the morning, you will need to leave. You can rest, maybe see Hershel, have a meal, but then you are gone. And Daryl, don't threaten me with leaving, you know how important you are to everyone here, and I know that you didn't mean what you said. You don't know this woman, and I know you aren't going to sacrifice our well being to take care of a stranger."

Daryl started pacing, his blue eyes bouncing around between Rick, Anna, and Anna's pregnant belly and he spoke "The Daryl at the quarry wouldn't have given a rat's ass about this, but that person is long gone. I don't wanna leave this group, they are family, My family, but in this hell that has become this new way of life, I ain't playing executioner, and I ain't gonna let you do it either. That ain't the man I am anymore. I couldn't save Merle, you couldn't save Lori, but I can do something to help her." Anna just stood there and was shocked that this man she just met was willing to stand up for her. She smiled at him and her eyes told him all he needed to know, she was thankful.

Rick just looked at him with anger. "Go. First light you and her are out of here. Daryl, you are making a mistake, and you will realize it and be back. You don't know anything about this woman, hell she could be a spy for the Governor, and I am amazed that you are willing to just let everything here drop for her." Anna had now heard the term Governor mentioned twice, but she had no idea what or who they were talking about. She did feel she needed to defend herself a bit "I have no clue about the man is you keep referencing, but I can assure y'all that I am not affiliated with anyone, I have been alone for a while. Do you think if I was with someone I would have been wandering the woods alone in this condition?" Daryl regarded her closely, she was right, and he couldn't understand why Rick didn't see it that way. Rick got in Anna's face, furious at her challenge to him, "I want you OUT of here in the morning, I am not sacrificing ANYONE in my family for a stranger that I don't know. I am sorry, but this is survival and you are a threat. I am not going to let you leave empty handed and you should be happy of that. It's nothing personal, but I am protecting my family."

Daryl looked at Anna and then Rick. "Sorry Rick, but I'm leaving with her. I will get our shit ready tonight, say my good-byes and then we are out of here. I don't know who or what you have become, but what I am doing is the decent thing to do. Once I get her somewhere where she and the baby can be safe, I'll be back, but not until I am sure she is safe somewhere." Rick looked at Daryl incredulously, and just nodded. "Fine, I will take this as a temporary departure. I can live with that."

Anna was angry that Daryl had to make this choice. She barely knew the man, but he reminded her so much of her late husband, and she hated that he was caught between a rock and a hard place. It was obvious that he had developed a strong sense of honor, or role as protector. Unfortunately, he felt he needed to leave because this freaked out asshole Rick didn't want her there, and she felt guilty. But she needed to have this baby somewhere safe, and maybe Daryl was the answer, he could help her find that place. This child was all that was going to be left of her old life and she was willing to accept Daryl's help. Daryl took her by the wrist gently and said "come on, we got things to do before the morning, and you need to get some rest."


	4. Chapter 4

**OK... two chapters in a day. I hope you are enjoying. Let me know. Suggestions are appreciated as well. As usual, I don't own the Walking dead, just borrowing the characters to tell a story.**

Daryl led Anna into the prison and up to his perch. He told her to lie down for a bit on his mattress and that he would get supplies ready for their departure in the morning. He couldn't believe this was real. "Let me get you some water, you gotta be thirsty", she looked at him and nodded. "Why are you doing this for me, I can't wrap my head around this, you don't know me, you owe me nothing, I'm OK if you want to stay here." Daryl replied, "Why you trying to talk me out of this? I told you what we are gonna do, and I ain't changing my mind. I will find you a safe place, and then I can come back. Now let me go get that water, you rest and I will go set up something with Hershel. He is our doctor and he can give you some sort of check-up." She grabbed his hand and looked directly into his eyes, noting a slight discomfort on his part. "I am thankful, I will make sure you get back here soon." She sat down on the mattress and breathed a quick sigh of relief, just being off her feet felt amazing, and lying on a mattress instead of the ground was better than any massage she had ever had in the old world.

Daryl walked down towards the kitchen area and saw Carol. She could detect that something was not right. She had seen Daryl with the woman, but had suspected that he would talk with Rick and they would welcome her to the group. But Daryl's body language and facial expressions said otherwise. Daryl spoke first "Can I get a bottle of water, I brought a woman back with me, and she is 'bout 8 months pregnant and I am sure she could use some water. Maybe even some food too if we can spare it." "Daryl Dixon, of course we can spare some food, why would you even say that?" He bit his thumb and she knew he was about to say something she wasn't going to like. "Rick ain't letting her stay. I am leaving out with her in the morning and going to try to find her a safe place to stay. I think Anna reminds him too much of Lori and he still ain't been able to deal with that situation completely. Carl weren't none to happy about her being here either." Carol was shocked, and she couldn't accept that he was going to leave. Not now, not after he had come so far, they were his family, how could Rick let this get to this point.

"Daryl, we can talk to Rick, get him to change his mind, you can't leave. I understand why you want her to be safe, but really, do you think you are gonna find her a safe place? We are inside the walls of this fortress, and even we aren't safe. We don't know when or if the Governor is coming back, there is always the threat of walkers, sickness, or starvation. Please re-consider this decision." He looked at Carol directly and gave her a short reply "I have considered it, this is the right thing." Carol fixed up a tray of some canned fruit, water, crackers, and some jerky. "This isn't a five star meal, but I think it will help satisfy some of her hunger. Do you want me to take it to her?" Daryl considered the request, "Nah, I'll do it, but if you could go find Hershel and ask him to come up to the perch I would be much appreciative." She smiled warmly, "consider it done, maybe we can change Rick's mind and she can stay." Daryl just nodded and began to carry the tray up the stairs to his perch where he had left Anna.

Anna was dozing as soon as her head hit the pillow. It felt so good to close her eyes. She was dirty and wearing ill fitted clothing thanks to her vastly expanded waistline, but she didn't care. About 20 minutes later Daryl re-appeared with some water and a tray of food. It looked like a steak dinner compared to the few cans of spaghetti or canned meat she was lucky to find. "Oh Daryl, this looks amazing." He smiled and told her that he had spoke with his friend Carol and explained the situation and she was kind enough to prepare the tray for her. "Well I would love to meet her and thank her personally before we leave. I'm not used to all this pampering." He smiled, "Hell if you think this is pampering, you really are not very difficult to please." She giggled, "Nope, I always considered myself low maintenance, though I think my husband would disagree…"she trailed off and her expression turned a bit sad. Daryl could tell she missed him, but he didn't push the issue on the details of what had happened to him. Her eyes were usually so bright, and he could tell that the thought of her husband caused a sadness to come over her. "You know Daryl, I was blessed with him in my life for 20 years, we were young and grew up together. He breathed his last breath getting our child and me to safety. Those things devoured him like it was nothing, and it was the last image I will ever have of him. But you have helped me attempt to carry on his legacy, and no person outside my family has ever given me a greater gift." She stood up quickly and gave him a kiss on the cheek and a hug. He was stunned at the show of appreciation. Carol would often give him a hug, or say kind words to him, but they had shared such a similar past of abuse that they understood each other so well. Carol was his best friend and confidant, but he couldn't explain this immediate connection with Anna. Maybe it was her gentleness or the fact that she could still smile with everything going on around her. The way that Rick had treated her earlier made him angry, and the fact that he was willing to just throw her out to the dogs infuriated him. And why was this? This was all because Rick couldn't deal with his own emotions. Daryl had thought that Rick was overcoming the mental lapse that occurred right after Lori's death. He knew that Rick had hallucinations, Daryl couldn't judge him though, he himself had hallucinations all those months ago when he had taken a serious fall into a ravine looking for Sophia, but Rick couldn't seem to get over the hump. Nothing seemed like it was going to change his mind.

They were both startled out of their thoughts by Hershel making an appearance. He introduced himself to Anna and spoke with her gently and softly. He found out that she had been taking pre-natal vitamins she had found and had been charting and documenting each of the day's activities. He checked her blood pressure and listened to her's and the baby's heartbeat. Both appeared to be strong and healthy. A miracle considering the conditions of the life she was living. He was a bit surprised to find out that she was nearly 40 years old. He figured she was about 10 years younger. He explained how fortunate she was to be in such good shape, especially considering she was a higher risk pregnancy. After he was done examining her, he looked for Daryl and asked to speak with him alone. Anna thanked him and lay back down. If she was going to be out again in the morning, she wanted to get at least one decent night's rest. She turned to Daryl before he headed off to speak to Hershel. "Daryl, I know this is your living area, I will move somewhere else so you can sleep tonight or if you want, and please don't take this wrong, you can share with me, I don't mind. I don't want you to feel awkward." He looked at her and just said, "let me think on it, I guess formal convention doesn't really apply any more." She laughed and added, "I promise not to take advantage of you, and unless you have some weird fetish for pregnant ladies, I think you are pretty safe." He responded quickly without thinking, "guess its kind of disappointing to know a beautiful woman is offering me a chance to sleep with her and has no desire to take advantage of me." The both laughed hysterically at his response. He was shocked he even said it. He helped her lay down and even managed to get a few extra pillows to make her comfortable. Once he was satisfied she was good, he took the tray and brought it Carol and then went off to find Hershel.

He found Hershel in the medical area of the cellblock. Hershel looked up and motioned for Daryl to sit down in one of the chairs. "I wanted to talk to you about Anna. First of all, I tried to reason with Rick, but he is just not willing to listen right now. That being said, I want to discuss some options with you. I have this book right here that goes over the basics of childbirth. Just in case you can't find a safe place for Anna, you might want to read it to be prepared. You are a quick learner, and I think you could handle it if worse came to worse. Second of all, you have to get her somewhere that she can stay put. She has some swelling in her feet and hands and that tells me that her heart is working hard to support both her and the baby. She has had less than ideal circumstances during this pregnancy and she needs to rest as much as she can before the baby comes. Thirdly, if possible, If you could somehow stay within a short distance of the prison, I could come and make regular checks on her, and even attempt to assist with the birth. I realize it may not be a possibility, but it's just a shot. I have seen you grow from an angry loner to become a noble man. You are self-less, and I am proud to know you son. Thank you for what you are doing for this girl and I wish we could talk Rick into letting her stay." Daryl felt a lump forming in his throat. He always admired Hershel and his wisdom, and his compliments gave Daryl a feeling of pride and self-acceptance. He shook Hershel's hand and spoke, "Hershel, you are a wise man and we are lucky to have you, can I ask you to look out for Carol for me. She is a strong woman, and has over come so much, but I think she could really use a friend while I am away." Hershel shook his head and asked one final question, "Daryl, do you think you really are going to be able to leave her once you find a safe place for her?" Daryl didn't respond. He didn't know the answer himself.


	5. Chapter 5

**OK folks, not sure how I am doing on this story. I just pray you like it. As usual, I don't own the walking dead or its characters...blah blah blah. Episode 7 is tonight, and rumor has it there will be no Daryl, so here is a bit of Daryl for you. **

Daryl was still deep in thought after the conversation that he had with Hershel as he climbed up the steps to the perch that was his living quarters. Anna was asleep wrapped around the pillows he had provided her earlier. What was it about pregnant women and pillows? He had heard some of his old friends joking that their old ladies had traded them in for body pillows when they were pregnant. He shrugged and thought it must have been something to do with being more comfortable. Daryl was trying to decide if he was going to lie down on the mattress beside Anna, or if he could just find another place to sleep for the night. "Daryl, hey, is that you?" Apparently Anna wasn't asleep. "Yeah, its me, I'm just gonna get a few things and go somewhere to sleep." He thought that would be what she would probably prefer. She surprised him, "No, lay down, we are gonna be in tight quarters together starting in the morning, might as well get used to it. It's been a long time since I had any companionship anyway, and I like having another person around." He hesitated, then kicked his boots off and lay down beside her on the mattress. Careful to make no body contact with her, she noticed and asked, "What's wrong? I won't break if you touch me, I'm pregnant, not made of porcelain…" he replied, "It ain't that, just never slept with another female before and I don't wanna make you think I'm some kind of perv." She snorted and said "If I thought you were a perv I wouldn't be leaving here with you in the morning. Look Daryl, I know this whole situation is crazy, and I really don't want you to feel obligated. If I can get somewhere safe to have this baby, I will be out of your hair in no time, and you can come back to your family here. I promise. No strings attached. Got it?" "Yeah, I got it, but its time I do something right after all the wrong I've done." Anna wondered what he meant by that comment, so she asked "Wrong? Like what? You're not an ex serial killer or rapist are you?" It was his turn to laugh. "No, but I won't exactly a people person and may have not appreciated fellow human beings quite like I do now." Anna replied "Oh, so you weren't a people person? I can see that, but just so you know, I'm an open book, you can ask me anything." His final response before he closed his eyes "Good to know, now hush and go to sleep, morning is coming soon." The both drifted off moments later. This was the first night that Daryl Dixon ever spent with a female and he wondered if it was the last night he would sleep in the prison.

He awoke before her the next morning. He was lying on the side and able to take a good look at Anna. She had the biggest brown eyes he had ever seen, along with olive skin, curly dark brown hair, almost black, and a few laugh lines just under her eyes. She seemed to even smile in her sleep. That smile was addictive. He had never quite experienced anything like this with any female he had come across in his 42 years. She made him feel comfortable. The only other woman that had made him feel this comfortable was Carol, but he had no romantic feelings towards her. He suspected that Carol may have been attracted to him, but Daryl just avoided thinking about it for more than a moment. Carol had been through a lot, and he didn't want to hurt her feelings by telling her he didn't see her as a lover. They both seem contented with keeping things just at a friendship level. However, He had to admit that he had an attraction to Anna, but he was clueless on how to relate to a woman. So, he felt the best next thing he could do was getting her to safety and hope his feelings would subside. He quietly got up and picked up his boots and walked out of the cell. He was going to let her get as much sleep as possible.

He headed down to the kitchen, where, like clockwork, Carol was preparing breakfast. She looked up when he walked into the kitchen, "Morning Daryl. Are you going out hunting this morning?" He looked at her a bit confused. "No, I'm loading up supplies and taking Anna to a safe place." Carol snapped back, "What? Did you not convince Rick to change his mind? You really can't be serious about leaving us. I thought it was just an idle threat to Rick to get him to show his hand. Please, let's talk to him, don't go. You, You…mean to much to us, to me, don't leave, you don't really know this girl." This was just what Daryl didn't want to happen. "Carol, she ain't a girl, she's a woman, and what am I supposed to do, if you was her, would you want to be just dumped out and left alone to fend for yourself while 8 months pregnant? Carol I need your support on this, It's going to happen, and it's what I gotta do. I ain't never been so sure about nothing in my life." Carol's eyes were watering, and she quickly wiped away the tears. "You're right Daryl, it's the right thing to do. I'm sorry." Her words said what he wanted to hear, but he could tell that by the look in her eye she didn't mean it. She spoke again, "Let's get you some food supplies packed. Someone in her condition needs to eat." She got out a box and loaded it with beans, dried fruit, deer jerky, water, a box of crackers, a few cans of spaghetti, and various other items. She included some plates, cups, a couple of pans, and eating utensils.

Daryl walked outside towards the prison garage and got a truck that was sitting there that had previously been used for the prison motor fleet. His plan was to get her somewhere safe, leave her with the truck, and take his bike back to the prison. He made a makeshift ramp out of some plywood and drove the bike up into the back of the truck. He then loaded about 30 gallons of fuel and a hose to siphon gas. He gathered a few tools in the garage, a jack, some jumper cables, a spare tire and some other odds and ends into the back of the truck and fit them in as tightly as he could. He found an old tent that they had used on the road and gathered a few other camping supplies including a blow up full size mattress and a hand pump. After that he went back into the prison and gathered some linens, some toiletries, a couple of guns, his crossbow and bolts, and some ammunition. Not too much ammo, with the governor still out there, they would need all they had to protect themselves, but just enough he felt secure. The thought process was that he hoped he could scavenge some on the road. Maybe they could find someplace safe soon. Hershel had told him she needed rest and he didn't want to wear her out anymore than he had too. He had the truck pretty much packed except for his and Anna's personal items and found an old tarp to put over the items that he didn't want to get wet.

Anna had awoken just as Daryl arrived back up to the perch. "Good morning Daryl. By any chance, is there anywhere I could wash up before we leave?" He nodded and told her that they had makeshift showers with cold water, but with the Georgia heat the shower would probably feel refreshing. He helped her up, and she gathered some clothes together as he took her to the showers. As she took her shower, he took the opportunity to go over everything he had gathered. He put his pack in the cabin of the truck; there was just enough room behind the seats for both of their gear. Beth walked out with Judith and approached Daryl. "Do you wanna say goodbye to little ass kicker before you leave?" Without hesitation he took little Judith from Beth's arms and began to talk to her sweetly. "Uncle Daryl is going on a trip to help someone out. Now don't you go and forget about me, you hear baby girl." Beth couldn't help but smile. Who knew a 5-month-old could cause mean old Daryl Dixon to become a sweet talking darling just with one look. Judith smiled happily at Daryl and he kissed her on top of the head. "Take good care of her while I am gone Beth. I will be back, I ain't turning my back on y'all, but until Rick comes around, this is what I gotta do." Beth smiled and gave Daryl a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. "I know you will be back. I don't doubt it for a second." She took Judith and headed back to the prison.

Anna felt so much better after taking the cold shower. She braided her hair and got dressed wearing a pair of stretchy yoga pants and old men's T-shirt that had belonged to her husband. At least it covered her basketball shaped belly. She headed back up to the perch and to gather her belongings. Daryl met her up there and helped her gather her pack and of course, all those pillows. She looked up at him and smiled that beautiful smile she had, "Well, I guess this it. Are you ready for this?" "Yeah," he said. "Ain't gonna let that baby fend for itself, and guess that means I gotta take care of mama too." She laughed and he helped her up.

They headed out towards the truck. Hershel was out there to give last minute instructions to Daryl and Anna. Carol headed out too. She had obviously been crying, but was trying to look strong for Daryl. She spoke to Anna and wished her luck. Daryl noticed that Rick didn't make an effort to see them off. To say he was disappointed was an understatement. The two men had built a strong bond of trust after Shane's death, but it had seemed that as Rick withdrew into the hell of losing Lori, that bond had weakened. Carl had also become withdrawn over the past few months as well. Daryl only hoped that everything would return to normal before he returned. Daryl helped Anna into the truck and shook Hershel's hand. Carol grabbed him into a tearful hug and said goodbye. She promised she would stay strong and joked she would keep his perch clean while he was gone. This was one of the hardest things that Daryl ever had to do. It had taken so long for him to trust other people, and now he was leaving them behind. But hopefully, he could find Anna a safe place to have her child, overcome his unexplained feelings for this woman he barely knew, and return in one piece to this family, his family.


	6. Chapter 6

**OK...chapter 6 here...you know the routine, you have all seen it before, I don't own the walking dead or any of it's characters...Hope you enjoy. Feel free to leave a review. I'm trying to do at least a chapter a night. Oh, and if you are an English teacher, I'm sorry, but grammar was never my thing...take care folks.**

It was still early in the morning when Daryl and Anna pulled out of the prison. Anna sat contently looking out the window while Daryl assumed the driving responsibility. Neither one of them was sure where they were going, but Anna decided to speak up. "Daryl, I had a thought… I might know a place, but it is at least 5 hours from here on a good day, but I know it is secure." Daryl looked intrigued, "Where is it?" She held her breath; "It's in the North Carolina Mountains, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. My parents had a place up there that is gated and up on top of a mountain. There is a stream, tons of wildlife, lots of natural food sources, and a natural gas fed generator. It is as close to off the grid as you can get. Let's just say my dad didn't fully trust the government and may or may not have had some Prepper tendencies. There may even still be some supplies there." Daryl slowed the truck down and pulled over to the side of the road. "Why didn't you go straight up there right when all this began? It would seem like a logical place to go?" She looked a bit nervous and finally said, "Because my brother might be there, and he can be dangerous. He has spent so much time in and out of prison for various violent crimes he has his own prison wing named after him. They were finally able to get him stabilized on some meds because he was a crazy bi-polar nut, but I am sure those have been gone for a long time. He hated my husband, and without anyone to intervene, one of them would end up dead, or Hell, all of us. I haven't heard from him in a few years, and as much of a hot-head as he is/was, I doubt he really survived this mess." Daryl looked her directly in the eye, "Are you willing to risk this? It's a long trip, and if he is there, things could go south quick. You gotta be safe, and I am willing to do what ever it takes to make sure you are, and that means hard decisions might have to be made. Do you understand what I am saying?" She knew exactly what he was saying; he would kill her brother if he were deemed a threat. "Yes, I understand, but like I said, I doubt he is even there." He nodded and reached across her to open up the glove box. He pulled out a map. "OK, break time. Let's figure out where we are and the best way to get up there."

They got out of the truck and laid the map out on the hood of the vehicle. It was determined that the best route was to take some secondary roads that lead up North through Tallulah Gorge and then continued on up through Cherokee, North Carolina. From there they could pick up the Parkway and follow it to within a few miles of her parent's house. They noted that there were some campgrounds along the way as well as some Natural water sources. There would be some small towns to pass through up until they got to the Parkway, but once they were on the Parkway, there wouldn't be any more towns to risk venturing through. The Parkway was Federal land, and they both figured that not many people would have used it as a means to escape. Anna asked to take a quick "potty" break since they were stopped. Her unborn child had taken to using her bladder as a pillow, and unfortunately she had to take frequent breaks. It was about noon so Daryl told her we would see if he could hunt for some small game. She thought it was a good plan and headed off to the tree line to do her business. Daryl waited by the truck for her so he could give her some privacy and keep an eye out for any danger. He was memorizing the details on the map when he heard her scream. Immediately he grabbed his Crossbow and headed towards the sounds. The smell hit him before he saw them; Anna was climbing up a tree, surrounded by six walkers. She was struggling immensely, relying on her arms to pull her up and attempting to grasp the tree trunk with her feet. Daryl gave a shout, which caught the walker's attention. He hit the one closest to her with a bolt, and pulled his hunting knife out and took out two more. He had just enough time to reload his crossbow and dispatched the fourth walker. Anna slid down the tree and picked up a large rock and smashed one in the head. Daryl stabbed the last one through the eye and it landed with a thud. They were both panting and out of breath. "Anna, are you OK? You didn't get bit or nothing did you?" She gasped for breath. "No, just some scratches from the tree. Oh God Daryl, that was so close. I'm so sorry, I let my guard down. I'm gonna get us killed…I'm gonna get my baby killed…. And…" with that she burst into tears and fell to her knees." Daryl rushed over to her to make sure she was all right. He did the natural thing and pulled her into a hug and patted her on the back "shhh…. It's gonna be fine. I shouldn't have let you go off without me there. I know you need privacy, but I think survival trumps modesty." She looked up him and nodded in agreement. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." She was still sobbing. "Quit apologizing for something you have no control over. You're OK, but you gotta start carrying a weapon. If we get separated you gotta be able to take care of yourself." Anna quickly replied, "You are gonna think I am a dumbass, but I have no clue how to use anything that shoots. I usually just would use a bat or something, and I don't have one anymore." Daryl reached onto his belt and pulled his knife back out of the sheath. "Here, keep this with you. I will find you a bat and I will teach you how to shoot. How the hell have you been able to survive this long without a weapon?" Anna laughed. "I didn't say I didn't have a weapon, I said I would use a bat. I was kick-ass softball player in my previous life and can swing a bat like a champ." Daryl didn't look sold on that idea that a bat was a suitable means of self-defense. "Well, you have been lucky is all I gotta say. I'm gonna show you how protect yourself a bit better. Now lets get back to the truck. You should rest up and lets get something on them scratches. Can't afford for you to get an infection."

Anna joked after Daryl had checked her over to make sure she was ok "Well Dr. Daryl, where did you get your medical degree from?" He just snorted and grinned at her comment. She joked and laughed a great deal, and he actually liked her light-hearted sense of humor. They got back into the truck once he deemed her fit for travel and headed down the road. After the trauma of the walker attack, he decided he wouldn't hunt for any game until tomorrow. They had enough food supplies to last about a week, and he figured within that time they could scavenge some supplies and he could supplement with wild game or wild edibles. That prospect actually excited him. Being in the prison Daryl hadn't needed to hunt and forage like he had been accustomed to doing for the most part of his life.

Anna was sitting in the passenger seat rubbing her belly. It seemed to comfort her. Daryl decided to strike up a conversation (yet another first for his usually reserved demeanor). "So you told me you were an open book, Why do you have a name and a look that says 'Jersey Shore' yet you have a southern accent like you have been down in the woods of Georgia?" That caused her to laugh, "Well can't there be Italians that live in the South? We ain't all from up North, though my family is originally from Boston. I've been down South my entire life. Dad was brilliant; he was a college professor at a small southern college and he taught Astronomy. We lived in a small town, and I guess by small town standards we did pretty good. Me on the other hand, I'm a college dropout who got married at 19 to a man I knew for 3 months. I always have been a bit impulsive. But John was the right man for me and I knew that from the moment I met him. We were a perfect team. He was a good ole country boy who treated me like a princess. I wasn't looking for someone with a fancy education, but I was looking for someone who would let me be myself. I spent the first half of my life trying to be what everyone expected me to be, and the second half living the life I wanted too. I was happy. We were broke most of the time, but we were happy. We tried for kids for 20 years, and it didn't happen. Then the world goes to shit, I get pregnant, and my husband gets eaten. Ironic isn't it?" It was a lot of information to process, but Daryl was glad to know this about her. "Well, ain't none of us planned for all this to happen. I reckon I'm probably better off than I was. Run down trailer, addict brother, no one in my life, dead end job, yeah, I was living in hell before all this, so maybe I'm better prepared than most." It dawned on him that they actually had quite a bit in common. Maybe that was why they were so comfortable around each other. He thought it, she spoke it "Daryl, I don't want to freak you out, and I certainly ain't trying to replace him, but you remind me so much of my husband. It's like fate had a hand in us meeting. Y'all could have been separated at birth. And your brother and my brother were probably cell mates at one time." They both laughed at that thought.

They continued asking questions and getting to know each other until early evening time. It was about then that Daryl decided they needed to set up for the night. They had come across an old KOA campground and decided that they could make use of the old camping cabins. They found the most secluded one possible and Daryl decided to make a couple trips around the place to make sure it was secure. There were a few vehicles, but no people or what used to be people that he could find. He walked over to the bathhouse and found it empty as well. Just for grins he turned on the water and was surprised it actually still worked. It was freezing, but appeared to be clean. "Anna, if you gotta pee, the bath house still seems to be working. I will walk over there with you." She was thrilled to hear that there were working bathrooms. She didn't think she would ever get used to doing her business in the woods. After she was finished they went over to the secluded cabin. There were two twin beds, a small table and chairs, a gas stove, and a very small couch. It would have been a kid's dream to camp in a place like this before the apocalypse. Now it was a luxury condo compared to sleeping in a truck, on the ground, or in a tent. "Daryl, this is perfect. Let's fix dinner and get set up for the night." Daryl got their supplies out of the truck and they set up the cabin for the night. They ate their warmed up canned food dinner of spaghettio's like it was from a fine Italian restaurant, and then settled in for the night. Daryl hadn't realized how tired he was until he laid his head down on his bed and fell asleep almost immediately. Anna still hadn't shut off the lantern and looked at Daryl as he slept. A sudden feeling of guilt crossed her mind. She knew what it was, that she was developing feelings for Daryl. What kind of person was she? Her husband hadn't even been dead just a few months, and she was already moving on emotionally to someone else? And someone else that she just met? Yes, there was that impulsiveness in her again. Thank God Daryl wasn't interested in an old pregnant woman. If he was, she didn't know what she would do, but in her heart she would feel like she was betraying her baby's father.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, I am trying to do a chapter a day. Not sure how long I will be able to do this, but for now it seems to be working. Thanks for all the favs and follows. Hope you enjoy this chapter and it doesn't get too confusing.**

They were both awakened in the middle of the night by a massive thunderstorm that was blowing through. The wind was howling and rain was being pushed up under the door. Anna jumped up to grab a towel to try to prevent the water from pooling inside the Cabin. Daryl was still half-asleep but managed to find a lantern and light it. It was very eerie outside, but he had always loved thunderstorms. This one however, seemed to be a bad one. Anna looked nervous. "I hate thunderstorms, I have since I was a kid. I can't say that a little KOA cabin makes me feel safe." He noted her pensiveness, "Should be fine, it will pass. You sleeping ok?" She was surprised he asked the question, "Yeah, I was. A bit uncomfortable, but all things considered, I ain't complaining."

Daryl spoke again. "You know when I first met you in the woods you mentioned you were with a group, but said it didn't work out, what happened?" She was surprised by his question. "Well, there was a dude in charge that became a bit power happy, it became almost cult like in how he was running things. He began to take what and whom he wanted, including some of the younger girls. He decided he wanted me one night, and I said 'no'…. Well I said a bit more than that. John lost his mind and practically killed the guy. Needless to say, we left immediately, lucky to escape with our asses. We basically grabbed our shit and ran. The guy was bad news, and we were afraid he would pursue us, but he didn't. I think his ego was bruised when I turned him down and then John almost killed him. Pretty much decided that a group was not necessarily the best decision. Now it's my turn for a question, who is the governor?"

"He's a sick prick that killed my brother. He set up a pretty little town called Woodbury. Built it with other people's blood. He was a cult like guy. He had my brother as his right hand man. They kidnapped Glenn and Maggie, and when we went to rescue them, he caught me. Apparently my brother had told the guy he had killed Michonne, but she had escaped and made it back to the prison, that's how we found out about Glenn and Maggie. The governor took it as a betrayal and had us 'fight to the death' in a ring. Fortunately Rick and Maggie showed up and got us out of there. The bastard has been gunning for us ever since."

"Shit, that sounds scary as hell. How long has it been since you had any contact with guy?" Anna Asked.

"Bout a month, but my brother said the guy would wait it out as long as it took, just to catch you when you were least expecting it. That is one of the reasons everyone is so tense and untrusting at the prison. They figured you could have been a spy or something."

"Well, I could see that. In this day and age you really can't risk anything. Why did you trust me? You didn't know me? I could have been faking this pregnancy for all you knew. Playing the whole 'damsel in distress' card."

Daryl pondered her statement and replied, "Nah, I could tell you were for real. I could see it in your eyes that you really were in trouble, and there are just some things no one can fake. I just wish Rick had believed it himself. You should have known him before Lori died. He was such a fair and non-judgmental person. This world has changed him. I still see glimmers of the old Rick, but the Rick you saw wasn't him. He will come around, or at least I hope so. The group's survival depends on it. They look to him for answers, and so far he has done right by all of us."

"Hmmm. I guess all of us handle tragedy differently. I really haven't had time to grieve for John. I feel like the greatest gift I can give him is this child. It breaks my heart they won't get to know their dad, but it makes me feel like I will always have a part of him with me at all times."

"Yeah, that's a good way of looking at it. Now you best get back to sleep, the storm is moving away and we got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."

"Thanks Daryl. I know you are getting sick of hearing it, but I truly mean it. You make me feel safe, almost like you are a guardian angel. Those wings on the back of your vest have more meaning than you will ever know." She arranged her pillows and closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

Daryl thought about her statement. A guardian angel? Maybe one of hell's minions, but no Dixon had ever been called an angel. It kind of made him feel a bit proud. Maybe this was his purpose in life, after all the bad he endured in life at the hands of his Dad and brother, his job was to protect others from the types of things he suffered from. He was beginning to feel he was a better person than he ever thought he was capable of being. With the negativity in his life eliminated, he was actually able to see some positive accomplishments. Maybe he wasn't a worthless piece of shit after all.

The next morning they awoke to still overcast skies. Daryl walked Anna over to the bathhouse where she attempted a quick cold shower and dressed. "Hey Daryl, you know, if you want to take a shower, I have some soap and shampoo you can use." He assumed she was giving him a hint. He was filthy, as he had become accustomed too, and he probably didn't smell the best either. "OK, OK, I can take a hint, but you need to go in the cabin and wait for me while I clean up. I don't want you wandering around until I get you trained on proper weapon use." She agreed and headed back for the cabin. She took a quick inventory of the food supplies and decided the least she could do was make some breakfast. She boiled some water and made some oatmeal, adding a bit of extra sugar, some cinnamon, and some dried apples to make it more appetizing. Daryl came back to the cabin about 20 minutes later, and he looked amazing. He sat down at the table and started to eat the meal she had prepared and she couldn't stop herself from staring at him. "What, why are you looking at me that way?" She blushed a bit and just came right out and said what she was thinking, "Daryl Dixon, you clean up real nice. It's amazing how blue your eyes are when they aren't hidden beneath 5 layers of dirt and grime." He laughed "Why Anna-Maria Bettatucci, are you flirting with me?" Her response was a one-word answer. "Maybe."

After they finished breakfast Daryl checked the vehicles that had been abandoned and was actually surprised to find gas in them. He siphoned it out and re-filled jugs that they had with them. Anna went into the campground store and found a few items of use, including an over-sized T-shirt she could wear and a few sweatshirts. The gathered up some camping supplies that were remaining and then went over to the front desk where she found a phone book. She started perusing the yellow pages to see if she could locate any stores that would be on their way. Jackpot!

"Daryl, there is a Wal-Mart about 3 miles from here on the way out. Maybe it won't be too picked over and we could manage a few supplies." He agreed with her that it was a good idea and then continued to pack up the rest of their things and secure the extra fuel he had managed to procure. They were back on the road and just as she had said, there was a Wal-Mart right off the road. The parking lot was pretty empty, apparently with the area being a primarily tourist area, everyone headed out as soon as things got bad. Now here was Daryl's dilemma. He needed back up to go into the store and gather up anything of use, but he didn't want to endanger Anna when he himself wasn't sure what they would find. So he decided on a compromise.

"Anna, you stay here until I can check the place out. When I return, you can go in with me, but until then, don't move from this truck."

"Yes dad, I promise." She snickered. He shook his head and gave her a quick smile.

Daryl headed into the store on high alert. He was overwhelmed with the horrible smell of badly decaying spoiled food. Apparently the store hadn't been looted. A few walkers scurried out of the aisles and Daryl was able to take care of them with his knife. They had been previous employees and still had on their vests and nametags. It would totally suck to die while working. If he was gonna go, he wanted to be out in the woods surrounded by the things that gave him peace and solace. He was going to go back out and get Anna once he determined that the store was secure. Before he went back outside, he took a quick side trip to the sporting goods section and grabbed something to give to Anna. He walked out to the truck and opened her door. "Here slugger, now come on and cover my ass." He handed her an aluminum Louisville Slugger baseball bat. Her preferred weapon of choice. "Wow, Louisville slugger, you really know how to treat a lady, no second rate anything from you." He just grunted and said, "Come on, we got a shopping trip to finish up."

They each gathered shopping carts and began filling them. Daryl was shoving in canned goods that he thought would have a better nutritional value. Anna headed to the pharmacy and was gathering things such as protein bars, meal supplements, and vitamins. She checked behind the pharmacy counter and was able to find some antibiotics and some pain meds. She then loaded in different bandages and a few other medical supplies. She then headed over to the baby section and found 4 cases of formula. She grabbed it and loaded it onto the cart as well. She felt a sharp pain when she bent over and it took her breath away for a second. "Daryl, come here, I think I just pulled my back and I am having a hard time straightening up." Immediately he ran over to her and helped her get her self righted. "Woman, you gotta be more careful. Don't try to do too much at once." Anna looked at him and replied "I'm sorry, I was just gathering up some things for the baby, I guess the case of formula was a little heavier than I thought. But while you are here, can you get me the box up on top of the shelf." Without question he reached up and grabbed the box, suddenly becoming a few shades of red when he noticed it was a manual breast pump. "Um, here you go, have fun with that." She just rolled her eyes. "Daryl if this embarrasses you, I can't imagine what child birth will do to you." His color faded at that statement, "I don't want to think about it OK. We will do what we need to when we need to." He remembered that Hershel had given him some books on the subject and made a note he was going to have to start reading them soon.

They loaded all of the items into the back of the truck. They were shocked at the haul they were able to get. The back of the truck was really getting loaded down, and Daryl secured everything under the tarps and with bungee cords. Anna hollered at him that she was gonna go get one last item, a case of water she had put by the door. He started the truck while she ran to grab the water. "Daryl, Help, Walkers- lots of them!" Coming around the side of the building was a group of about 20 walkers headed straight for Anna. Of course her bat was sitting beside her door at the truck. Daryl panicked when he saw what was going on. "Anna, get in the store!" But she couldn't, there were walkers inside the store blocking the door. He started loading bolts and taking out walkers one by one, Anna was using the case of water as a weapon and was miraculously swinging it and smashing the walkers in the head, maybe not killing them, but definitely knocking them down and keeping them off of her. Daryl was a killing machine, Stabbing, bashing, re loading his crossbow over and over. He was exhausted and covered in black goo. Anna had managed to take down three walkers herself with the adrenaline-fueled strength she managed to use to kill with a case of water. They had take down all the walkers in a matter of just a few minutes. Daryl ran over to Anna to check on her. Just as he got to her, her eyes rolled up and she passed out cold onto the ground. "Anna, Anna, wake up, please girl, look at me. You gotta be OK, you ain't ready for this…do you hear me?" Daryl thought to himself, "I ain't ready for this, I'm not ready to let you go." And with that he scooped her up and brought her over to the truck.


	8. Chapter 8

**I don't own the Walking dead. Wish I did, but thank goodness for Robert Kirkman. This is the second chapter for the day. Not sure what my update schedule will be with Thanksgiving and Christmas decorating, but I plan on still keeping up on a daily basis. Please review and let me know what you think or where you want me to go with this story. **

Daryl carefully carried Anna to the truck. He didn't know what to do or what was wrong with her. She moaned a bit, which actually gave him a small sense of relief. At least she wasn't dead. "Anna, honey, wake up." He pleaded with her. Her eyes opened slightly and she smiled at him. "Daryl, I don't feel well, I'm dizzy and weak." Very tenderly, he took her and pulled her upper body into his lap. "Anna, when was the last time you had anything to drink?" "Huh, I don't know, before breakfast I guess. Just let me sleep." Daryl reached over for a bottle of water in the back seat of the truck and opened it. "Here, drink this, all of it. I think you might be dehydrated and a bit over-exerted." She moaned and drank the water, a little at first, and then began swallowing it more aggressively. He grabbed a pillow and laid it under her head and eased her down, Anna smiled at him weakly, and "Dr. Dixon is at it again." He couldn't help but let out the breath he was holding.

She seemed to be coming back around. He got out of the truck and got a can of fruit from the back of the truck and opened it for her. "Here, eat this too. I was a fool to let you do this today. I should have done it alone and let you rest in the truck. This is my fault." Anna shook her head, "Daryl, you can't do everything by yourself. It isn't your fault. It's mine. I gotta remember I'm 8 months pregnant and not Lara Croft Wal-Mart raider." He laughed at that, but was still unsure about his decisions. He ended up arranging her pillows and a few blankets for her to lie against so she could ride comfortably. She seemed to be doing better. "Here is another bottle of water, I don't care if you have to stop to pee a 100 times, you drink this, and when you are done, you will drink some more." Her eyes opened big at his command. She simply nodded and took the water from him. She was liking his take charge manner. It had been so long since she had anyone to look after her, and she had missed it.

Even after the events earlier in the day, they managed to cover a lot of miles. They had made it to the mountains of Northern Georgia and were about an hour from making it to the North Carolina border. Anna noticed that Daryl looked completely exhausted. "Daryl, why don't we find a place to stop for the night. You look like hell and I think you could use the rest." They started looking for a decent place to stay and found a small hotel off the side of the road. At one point, this area had been an extremely popular tourist destination, but as time passed and people chose to go to places like Vegas, Miami, or New York, the area had started to die off and all that remained were a few old hotels and inns. They pulled in and Daryl checked a room that still had its curtains open. The door was locked, which was a good sign. He headed to the front desk to look for a key. After retrieving the key, he headed back and opened up the room. Him and Anna got their supplies for the night and headed into the room. They drew the curtains and Anna lit up a lantern. "Looks like we are having a slumber party tonight." She said as she noticed there was only one bed in the room. The water in the bathroom still worked, but had very low pressure. They were both still covered in blood and grime from earlier in the day and she was a bit concerned at how tired Daryl looked. "Hey, go in the bathroom and wash up and hand me your clothes. We are staying here tomorrow. You need a break, all you do is go go go and your are gonna get yourself killed." He gathered another set of clothes and headed into the bathroom.

The room was fairly clean and Anna decided to pull out some food and put together a quick dinner. She set up the camp stove and warmed up some beef stew and boiled some rice. It would give them some sustenance to help them maintain their energy. She really missed fresh vegetables, and hopefully they wouldn't contract scurvy and die. Daryl walked out of the bathroom, looking cleaner, but still very tired. She went over to him and felt his forehead. "Daryl you feel a little warm, why don't you lie down and rest. I think you are getting sick." He shook his head in defiance, but she insisted. "Here, I made some food for you, eat it and take it easy. You being dead ain't gonna help either one of us." He would have argued with her, but he did pretty much feel like shit. He had noticed it earlier in the afternoon but just thought it was a combination of having the hell scared out of him and being over-exerted. Now he really did feel like he was coming down with something. This is not what he wanted to deal with, he had a job and that was to take care of Anna, not the other way around.

She handed him a couple of Motrin and some water. "This will help break a fever. Don't worry about anything. The door is locked and I promise not to go anywhere. Let's get you feeling better." It was weird to have someone showing genuine concern over his well being. He had experienced it with Carol, but Carol mothered everyone. Anna barely knew him, but she seemed to really care about him. Daryl Dixon didn't do romance, but he knew his feelings for her were beyond friendship. Yep, he was in trouble.

Daryl fell asleep pretty quickly after he ate and took the Motrin. He had the strange feeling he was floating; obviously hallucinating a bit from his fever induced dreams. Anna stayed up and pressed a cold wet wash cloth to his head and wiped down sweat that was glistening on his chest. She fell into a care taker mode and her sole purpose at this point and time was to take care of Daryl and help him get back to 100 percent. He was in a deep but fitful sleep. He was mumbling about Merle, Carol, and baby ass kicker. She was worried. Without proper doctors around, a simple sickness could become deadly. And what was going to happen with her child. She had vaccinations as a child to protect her from diseases such as measles and small pox, but her child wouldn't have this safety net. She was beginning to have a slight panic attack. Daryl stirring brought her back to reality. She got up and got a bottle of water and some more Motrin. She felt his head, and he actually felt like he was cooling down. Maybe this was just a quick little bug he had caught and not anything serious. "Hey Daryl," she shook him slightly, "wake up sug, its time for some more medicine." He looked confused at first, but didn't say anything. "How long have I been asleep?" he asked. "About 4 or 5 hours. Your fever seems to be down, so lets get another dose of this Motrin in you and maybe knock it out completely." He noticed he didn't have a shirt on, but was covered up with several sheets and blankets. "Have you slept yet?" He asked? "No, not yet, but I will now that I am convinced you aren't going to die on me." He looked at her closely. Just this morning he was taking care of her, and now she was taking care of him. They were beginning to become dependent on each other for comfort and survival, and Daryl couldn't say that he minded it one bit.

She wiped down his chest, arms, and face one final time and then got in the bed beside him. She closed her eyes and fell asleep almost immediately. She couldn't help but smile glad that Daryl appeared to be on the mend so quickly. She was going to insist that they stayed there another day just so he could regain his strength completely. He could be stubborn, but she wasn't going to let him win this time. She would fake back pain if she had to just to get him to stay put. It was amazing to her how nurturing he had become in such a short period of time. She still didn't know a lot about him, but he had divulged that he wasn't a people person and had only recently accepted the fact that you needed people to survive. There was another layer to Daryl that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but she would figure it out, she wanted to know him better. Something about him reached down into her soul. There was too much good in him to be overlooked and she felt like Daryl didn't even realize how special he was. She was going to let him know every chance she had that he was worth everything.

They spent the next day just taking it easy and talking about their plans for the road the next day. Daryl actually took the time to read the book Hershel had given him on childbirth. To be honest it was both interesting and terrifying. He was learning things about lactation, placentas, umbilical chords, and breech births. This was definitely not an easy or pleasant process, and he knew when the time came that without an epidural, Anna was going to be in some serious pain. He hated to admit it, but that was the part that scared him the most. She was such a sweet person and he thought it extremely cruel that women had to endure so much to bring life into the world. It just didn't seem fair, but there wasn't anything he could do to change it. He noticed she was rubbing her belly as she sat in a chair across the room. "You ok over there?" She smiled at him, "yes, I'm doing fine, the little one is quite active, come over here and feel 'em move." Daryl walked over and hesitantly put his hand on her belly. He instantly felt the kicking and fluttering of the child inside her womb. It was an amazing feeling and he grinned ear to ear. "That's unreal. Does it hurt?" She looked up at him with her big brown eyes smiling at him, "No, it's a weird feeling, but it takes my breath away to know there is a life inside me moving around like that. I can't believe this little miracle is inside and I can't wait to meet them face to face." All the fears he had from reading about the childbirth process seemed to subside when he saw how happy this birth was going to make Anna. "I can't wait to meet 'em either. You will be a good mama." And he meant every word he said. Anna had too much good in her to be anything else but a good mama. He was going to make sure nothing prevented that from happening.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello. Another chapter before Thanksgiving.** **Let me know how I am doing. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Hope everyone has a very happy holiday tomorrow. **

After they had stayed and rested the extra day it was time to hit the road again. Had the world not become a haven for the walking dead and the danger that followed, Anna would have been extremely excited about seeing the beauty of the mountains of Georgia and North Carolina. Beautiful pristine peaks and lush greenery dotted with stunning gorges and waterfalls. How she had wished her John could be here with her to see this, he loved the outdoors and the two would hike and photograph their adventures. That was a lifetime ago, those photos never to be seen again. It broke her heart that she didn't have a single photo of him to show her soon to be born child. Would she herself forget what his face looked like? She had 20 years worth of memories that were fading away with each passing day. The joy he had given her could never be replaced, but she knew in her heart that he wouldn't have wanted her to stop living life. If he had, he wouldn't have sacrificed himself so she could carry on. But how was she going to handle whatever it was that she was developing with Daryl. She cared for Daryl after only knowing him for a short amount of time. She didn't see him as a replacement for John, but more as a place to start over and begin to live again. However, she also knew there was a pretty good chance that Daryl would be leaving her soon. If her parent's place proved to be as safe as she hoped it to be, then Daryl could leave her there without feeling guilty. He probably would stay until she had the child, but that was going to be in another few weeks. Once he left there wouldn't be anyway for them to keep in contact and they would probably never see each other again. This was almost like losing her husband all over again. It was leaving a hole in her heart and she couldn't help the tears that started streaming down her cheeks. Anna wasn't normally this emotional, but the thought of being alone again actually terrified her. Raising her child without anyone around was going to be difficult, though she knew she could do it, but being without this noble man she just met was what was tearing her apart. Anna knew that these were selfish thoughts, he already had his surrogate family that he loved and she understood that he would return to them. It wouldn't be fair for her to ask otherwise.

Daryl noticed she had tears in her eyes. "Hey girl, what's got you so upset? Is everything OK with the baby?" She looked at him and nodded. "I'm fine. Just remembering things that I will never be able to get back. I'm afraid I will forget him. What he looked like….his personality….the things he did to make me laugh. How can I tell this child about his father when I'm not sure even I will remember? It's only been a few months since he has been gone, and already it seems like a lifetime. " Daryl was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say? He knew what she meant about forgetting. Losing Merle just recently had left him with the same concerns. And he had spent his entire life with him. Daryl just tried not to think about it, there wasn't any use on dwelling on the past. But she was right, and she had a child to think about that was never going to know his father except for what she taught them. "You will be able to tell your baby about his daddy because a part of him lives in your heart, and as long as your heart still beats, that part of him will always live on." She looked over at Daryl, her brown eyes still welled up with tears, and she simply said, "Daryl, you are so right. Thank you for reminding me of that. I am just hormonal I guess." He laughed at that response. "Nah, just a women."

As they passed North through Georgia into North Carolina Anna felt a bit excited about going home to a place she had always loved. They finally made it onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and she knew this was the last leg of the trip. They had been lucky that they had very little trouble along the way. Other than the Wal-Mart incident and Daryl's slight bout with sickness, everything had gone smoothly. Daryl was getting more than ready to get to their final destination. "Hey, lets stop for a break, about how far are we?" he asked. She replied, "A break sounds good. We are about two hours out before we get off the parkway, and then it is another thirty minutes or so." They both got out of the truck. Anna had to 'take care of business' and headed for the tree line. Daryl followed her, but stayed back enough to give her privacy. He had to admit it felt good to be outdoors like this. It was quiet and the air was fresh. It was also refreshingly cooler at the higher elevation. He was looking forward to getting somewhere secure. Being on the road for the past week had kept him on high alert. Anna needed to get somewhere that she could take it easy and finish out her pregnancy. She was probably about 4-5 weeks from delivery if everything went to term. He had decided that no matter what that he would stay with her until the baby was born. After that he was going to have a hard decision to make. Would he be able to leave her and return to the prison? She had now become a part of his life, and he liked it. Her beauty went beyond her physical looks. She was such a caring and sweet person. Always positive about everything, and non-confrontational. She listened to him and she trusted him. She made him feel like a man should feel. He knew he was going to have to confront his feelings for her, but he had absolutely no experience in how to handle this situation. He was startled from his thoughts when Anna came back out of the woods. "I swear I will never get used to peeing in the woods. And just between you and me, It isn't easy carrying all this extra weight. One day I'm just gonna topple over." She laughed and he couldn't help but laugh too. This was the part of her that he adored, her sense of humor. God he was falling in love with her. This wasn't supposed to happen. But he knew she was still grieving her husband, and he didn't want to take that away from her. He could be her friend, that part was easy, but he wanted more and just didn't think she was mentally ready to move on.

They got back in the truck and continued on North. She had been dead on about the time. As they were getting closer to their final destination she started telling him stories about growing up here in the mountains. Her father would commute an hour to work each day to teach at the college. Her mother had been active in the community and she knew a lot of the families. Church had been important to most of the families, and education was a luxury not many of them could afford. These people had survived for many generations living off the land and being secluded from most of the world. Moonshining had been a dominant part of the culture for many years. Revenue agents were looked at as Satan and every man in the area knew how to build and soup up old cars. It was a rich culture and a simple life. She loved it here, but had left when she got married. She would return for weekend visits and holidays, but had always felt that this was home. The one thing she noticed was the area looked deserted. All of the families had seemed to have disappeared completely. Daryl enjoyed hearing the stories of life here in the area. It reminded him of the people and the life he had grown up with. Once again, he couldn't deny the connection he had with her. She felt like home and reminded him of the times when he was younger and still had hopes of a future that would be normal.

They finally turned onto the last road that would lead up to the house. Sure enough the gate was shut and locked. Anna got out and opened the combination lock and Daryl drove the truck in. She locked the gate back and got back in the cab. Her eyes were huge with excitement and nervousness all at once. She prayed like hell that the house was still there and unmolested. It was another two miles to the top of the mountain. Daryl was overwhelmed with the amount of wild life they were passing on the way up. This was a good sign. The thought of hunting still excited him like a child at Christmas. They crossed over a couple of streams on their way to the final destination. "Turn here!" Anna exclaimed. He turned and they pulled into a driveway. In front of him was one of the biggest houses he had ever seen. He wasn't expecting this at all; he had pictured a simple log cabin. Not a luxury vacation home. The views out back were amazing. Definitely a plus for observing the surrounding area and being aware of trespassers that may be attempting to gain access to the property. Anna reached up under the steps that lead to the porch and pulled out a key. She was about to unlock the door when it suddenly opened and she had a shotgun pointed in her face. Daryl immediately jumped in front of her, kicking himself for letting her lead the way. Suddenly he felt a wave of pain in his head and darkness encompassed him. Anna's screaming was the last thing he registered before there was complete silence.

**Ok...ended this on a cliffhanger. I will try to get the conclusion up tomorrow. **


	10. Chapter 10

**And here we have Chapter 10 folks. Hope you are enjoying the story. Wish I owned the Walking Dead, but I don't. Please review and leave me any suggestions you might have. Happy reading to each of you. **

Daryl lay unconscious and bleeding on the front porch. Anna was terrified until she looked up and realized it was her father at the end of the shotgun. "Daddy, what did you do. You could have killed him." Her father's eyes opened wide and he went to embrace her, "Anna, baby girl, We thought you were dead…."But before he could embrace her she rushed over to Daryl's side to check on him. She grabbed his head gently and rested it in her lap. Daryl started to groan. Anna exhaled a quick sigh of relief. He wasn't dead. "Daryl, don't move. It was only my dad." Daryl murmured, "Sir I ain't the one that knocked her up, I swear." Her father immediately went down to help lift up Daryl and get him inside. Her mom appeared at the door and screamed when she saw the blood covered stranger and then burst out sobbing when she saw Anna. "Mama stop, we need to get him in the house, I will explain in a moment." With Daryl's help they managed to get him in the house and to the downstairs guestroom. Her mom immediately took over and jumped into 'mama' mode and started addressing the head wound Daryl had received.

Anna was catching them up on everything that had happened since the walking dead had taken over while her mom dressed Daryl's injury. Her father was apologizing profusely to Daryl over and over again. Even though he still felt groggy, Daryl could tell that the man felt real remorse. "Son, I don't know how I can repay you for taking care of our daughter. I was just caught off guard by someone showing up here. There have been some odd behaviors taking place in the area and I thought you might be one of 'them'" Anna looked at her dad, "What do you mean one of 'them'? What's been going on Daddy? Have the walkers made their way up to the house?" Her dad replied, "No dear, worse. Some of the families down in McGrady have turned cannibal. Whole families have been disappearing and I am pretty sure that they have become a dinner to the psychos. You know those McGrady people have always been dangerous. You have heard the stories about someone getting lost and going there by accident, then disappearing never to be seen again. I thought it was all a joke, but now I'm not so sure." She felt like she was going to be sick. They had driven right through McGrady on their way up to the house. It made her shudder to think they how close they may have come to such sick individuals. It was bad enough the dead were eating people, now to think that the living might be eating innocent people too, the thought was almost overwhelming.

A few hours later Anna's mom, whom Daryl found out was named Ava, had prepared what was essentially a feast. Anna had been right about her parents being stocked up for a disaster. Her Father, Guiseppe, whom everyone just called Gus, was a sprightly man. He was small and wiry, but tough as nails, and as Anna had said, he was very smart. He had managed to keep the place running with the aid of a generator, solar panels, and propane. This place was a luxury like none Daryl had experienced even before the apocalypse. Ava had been fussing over both Daryl and Anna and made him feel very comfortable. He saw a lot of Anna's personality in her mom. He never envisioned himself in a setting like this, but these people had absolutely no judgement at all. Ava and Gus had taken the news of Anna's husband's death as best as they could. John was like a son to them, and it had broken their heart to know he had passed, but they were excited about his legacy that was now growing in Anna's womb. Gus took Daryl and gave him a tour of the place and explained how he had been operating all of the mechanical devices. Daryl had explained to him that he was an avid hunter and would go out in the morning to hunt game so they could continue to be stocked up with meat. Gus seemed impressed and was overcome with the generous offer Daryl had made.

The next morning Ava once again had prepared a large breakfast of smoked ham, eggs, corn bread and tomato slices. Ava maintained a garden and managed to can vegetables every year. This apparently had been a tradition she had been keeping up with for many years prior to the apocalypse. Daryl was more than happy to indulge in the delicious food that Ava had put in front of him. "Daryl you and Anna need to eat and get your strength back. And Anna-Maria, you need to eat for that baby. That's my grandbaby and he is going to be born strong and healthy while you are under my watch." She had already put herself in grandma mode.

Daryl thanked Ava and went back to the room he was staying in. He gathered up his crossbow and decided to head out. Gus asked to speak to him before her left. "Look, I don't know you that well, but I believe my daughter has developed feelings for you. I can see it in her eyes. Please be careful out there. There have been unexplained things going on out there that is beyond the strangeness of the risen dead. I don't think it is safe, and I would suggest not wandering too far from the house. Keep your eyes open and make sure you are well armed. Do you have a pistol with you?" Daryl nodded in confirmation. He was dumfounded by the fact that Gus felt like Anna had developed something for Daryl. He hated to admit it, but it gave him butterflies in his stomach. Gus continued, " If you get in trouble, shoot twice, and then shoot twice again. I will come find you. How long do you think you will be gone?" Daryl thought about it, "Five hours or so, If I get anything I will field dress it before I bring it back." Gus shook his head. "No, don't risk that. If you get something, secure the kill and come back and get me. We can take the Gator out and carry the animal back. It's much safer to clean your kill here. I have a smoke house set up and we can smoke the meat, which will preserve longer." Daryl agreed with him that bringing the game back was probably a safer option. "Gus, thank you for your hospitality. Anna is a special woman and I want to make sure she is safe. I know that young 'en she is carrying means more to her than anything and I want to do anything I can to help her have a safe delivery." Gus's eyes teared up and he put his hand on Daryl's arm. "Son, you don't know how precious she is to me. We are devastated at the loss of John, but I have to believe that the Good Lord put you in her life for a reason. You are a good man, and I will never repay you for what you have done, but as long as you are here with us, I will work everyday to attempt to do so. And you are welcome to stay here as long as you want. You are family now." Daryl couldn't believe how kind this man was to him. It almost made him uncomfortable. People like this were always scared of Daryl, not embracing him. Once again he was gaining a little more confidence in himself. It saddened him that he had gone so long feeling worthless and angry. All those feelings of self-doubt were slowly starting to unravel, and Daryl liked how that felt.

He headed off into the woods silently. Daryl was extremely stealth when he was in hunting mode. It didn't take him long to find tracks that appeared to belong to a large deer, most likely a buck. Sure enough, about 15minutes later he spotted a large 8 point buck. In a previous life, this buck would have been trophy worthy, but now he saw food for the table for at least a week or two. He raised his crossbow and hit the target. The deer snorted and staggered about 10 feet before it stumbled. It tried to get up again, but Daryl shot it through brain and eased its suffering. He took some rope and pulled the deer up into a tree so that nothing could get at it. He was going to head back and get Gus so they could bring the deer back. He had walked about half a mile when he suddenly heard unfamiliar voices. He crouched down in the brush attempting to observe where the voices were coming from. "I know them people that live in that big house on the hill are still there. If we come up through the valley I think we can surprise em. We can do it tonight and be back with em before the morning." Daryl knew whom they were talking about. One of the downsides of having a fortress up on a mountain was that others had visibility to your location. If they scaled up the steep side of the mountain at night, Gus and Ava would have no idea that they were being targeted. Daryl counted six men, all armed with guns and knives. They were dirty looking with bad teeth and blood covered clothes. He wondered if these were some of the people from McGrady that Anna's parents had warned them about. As soon as he thought it was safe he burst out into a run and headed back to the house. He frantically bolted through the front door yelling for Gus. "Gus we got a problem!" Gus came running into the living room looking alert. "We got 6 armed and scary looking men planning on coming up through the valley to attack tonight. We either gotta leave or we gotta get prepared. Any suggestions?" Gus nodded and even appeared to smile a bit. "No worries Daryl, we got this covered. This isn't the first attempt that someone has made to take this place. Follow me." Daryl followed Gus as they went down to the basement of the house. He was amazed at all of the food supplies that were stored down there. Yes, Gus was a Prepper, a damn good one. Gus then moved a shelf off to the side revealing a hidden door. Daryl couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was a complete arsenal that would make a small army unit happy. Guns, ammunition, smoke bombs, grenades and various other items that Daryl didn't completely recognize. Daryl asked Gus, "So what exactly is the plan?" Gus just grinned like a kid; "Armageddon on those backwoods inbreeds, they have fucked with the wrong family."


	11. Chapter 11

**Here is my mandatory chapter a day. Poor Daryl in this one. As usual, I don't own the Walking dead. Please review and leave any suggestions you have. Have a great day and enjoy. **

The house had a safe room. Of course it did. This place was a fortress and it was obvious that Gus wanted to protect his family no matter what the circumstance. He and Daryl had decided that the women should wait in the Safe room for the danger to pass, and then once everything was handled, it would be safe for them to emerge. The men grabbed automatic rifles and night vision goggles. If the situation weren't so dangerous getting to play with all this awesome equipment would have actually excited Daryl. But now wasn't the time to play, it was time to survive and protect. It seemed like since the apocalypse had begun that everyone had to become a soldier of some type. Unfortunately, not everyone had the same abilities and the lack of these abilities meant almost certain death. Anna had a survival instinct, but knew just enough to be dangerous. Daryl made a note that teaching her some skills was going to be his next priority. He hoped that Gus had taught Ava how to defend herself, but he wasn't sure.

Daryl and Gus hid themselves up in some tree stands that Gus had built for hunting on the property. Now all they had to do was wait. Daryl was tense and left alone to his thoughts. Once again they returned to what was he going to do after Anna had her baby. He felt that she would be safe here with her parents. Gus knew what he was doing and could manage to keep his fortress fully functioning. Ava could care for Anna and provide her with all the emotional support that she would need. But Gus had mentioned that he thought Anna had "feelings" for Daryl. Daryl couldn't imagine that a woman like Anna would have any type of romantic feelings for someone like him. They came from two completely different backgrounds, but they did share some common experiences. They had both recently suffered losing the person that was most important to them in life. What was he going to do? He decided for the first time in his life that he would talk to Anna and see what she wanted to do. She was too good to let her slip through his fingers. If she were willing to have a relationship with him, then he would try. He would tell her how he felt. Facing a horde of walkers would be easier for him than being honest with his feelings, but he had to take this gamble. He wasn't a kid anymore, and he was tired of not having someone in his life to love. He loved his family back at the prison, he loved Merle, but this was a different type of love all together. He would help her raise her child with absolutely no intention of taking away the fact that he wasn't the child's father. Daryl Dixon had never been so sure of something in his life. He was worth a damn, and he was willing to spend the rest of his life showing Anna that he loved her.

Daryl was taken from his thoughts when he heard Gus let out a low whistle. Sure enough, he heard movement in the woods coming up from the steep hill. Since he had the night vision goggles, he was able to see the trespassers moving quickly through the woods. He picked up the automatic rifle that Gus had given him and prepared for the attack. Something felt off, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. This should be easy; they had the advantage of night vision and had eliminated the element of surprise. Daryl counted but only saw four men. He knew that there had been six. Where was the other two? Maybe they were lagging behind the others. Thud, Gus dropped the first of the intruders. Daryl aimed and took out another. The other two men started shouting and dropped for cover. Daryl took a shot at another one of them but missed, Gus took out a third. Daryl aimed again to take out the fourth guy when he was suddenly hit with a hot blast of air followed by a large explosion. The woods caught fire immediately and Daryl realized that the tree he was in was burning quickly. He was at least thirty feet up and had no way of climbing down. Gus was shouting at him to jump. Daryl was quickly trying to find a place where he could land relatively safely. There was another tree about eight feet away that would any luck he could possibly jump too and then shimmy his way down. He didn't have much time to think about it. He suddenly felt a surging pain in his arm and noticed that his sleeve had caught on fire. The smell of burning flesh was overwhelming. Gus fired and took out the remaining invaders as Daryl stood up, now in overwhelming pain and leapt off of the burning tree stand for the tree that was his only chance of escape. He hit the tree full force and grabbed on, but with his injured arm the pain was unbearable and he felt himself lose his grip. Everything started moving in slow motion. He had his breath knocked out of him when he hit the tree, and then felt his flesh tearing as he slid down the trunk. He was trying to hold on, and he was able to do so successfully until he was about fifteen feet above the ground, and then he felt himself free fall the rest of the way. He hit the ground with a painful thud. He couldn't move and he felt hot flames still surrounding him. Gus was shouting at him, but Daryl was unable to respond. Suddenly he felt cold water hitting him as Gus had managed to grab a water hose and was attempting to douse the flames. Fortunately Gus was able to get a handle on the fire before it had spread to the house or to Daryl's immobile body.

"Son, son, can you hear me?" Daryl tried to speak, but all he could manage was a moan. Gus assessed Daryl's injuries and deemed them to be pretty serious. Daryl's arm and shoulder appeared to have at least second-degree burns. They were charred and blistered badly. There was a wound bleeding from the side of his head, and his entire stomach and chest were covered in splinters from sliding down the tree. Gus was also pretty certain by Daryl's labored breathing that he at least had some broken ribs and possibly a punctured lung. Gus spoke again, not sure if Daryl was going to hear him, "I'm gonna go get the Gator and Ava. She was a nurse many years ago and she can take care of your injuries better than I can. Just hold still and I will be back very shortly. Don't you worry about a thing, we will take care of you." Daryl blinked his eyes and gave a grunt. It was all he could do.

Gus ran up to the house and down to the Safe room. He grabbed Ava and gave specific orders to Anna to stay in the house. She screamed at him, "Daddy, if he is hurt I want to be there for him and help." Gus was direct, "Anna, you don't need to see him like this, let your mama and I get him and at least bring him to the house. You don't need to stress the baby or yourself right now. His injuries are serious, but I don't know how serious. I am afraid he might have internal injuries. If you want to help, try to find all the medical supplies you can and bring them up to the room he is staying in." Anna shook her head. She could do that and still feel like she was contributing. She ran through the house and into her parent's medicine closet. She found peroxide, tweezers, salves, stitches and other things that she decided to throw into the bag as she ran into Daryl's room and started to set them up so her mom could have easy access to whatever she would need.

Ava and Gus made it back to Daryl in just a few minutes. Ava jumped off the Gator and rushed over to the man lying crumpled onto the ground. She was amazed at how small and broken he looked lying there. One of the first things she noticed about Daryl was how strong he seemed. She could see why her daughter was attracted to him. There was goodness to this man that he didn't realize he possessed. Any man willing to take on a total stranger that was heavily pregnant with a dead man's child was worth his weight in gold in Ava's eyes. "Daryl, it's Ava, do you know where you are?" Once again all he could manage to get out was a moan, but for Ava that was enough. She had brought a makeshift first aid kit with her and the first thing she did was secure his neck with a brace. She wasn't sure if he had a neck injury, but she didn't want to take a chance. "Honey, can you move your fingers or your toes. You don't have to speak, just try to wiggle them for me." She saw his fingers twitch and his left foot move slightly. He at least had some movement in his extremities and that hopefully meant he didn't have any spinal injuries. Her and Gus carefully lifted him up onto the Gator and secured him so he wouldn't fall off. Gus drove up to the house and they gingerly carried Daryl into the house and laid him on the bed in the room he was staying in.

Anna burst out into tears when she saw Daryl. He looked horrible. "Oh God, he is gonna die mama, look at him, he looks like death. Oh God, Oh God, Oh God…." She was panicking. Ava snapped at her, "Anna, we need to focus on Daryl, and I need you to calm down. I can't take care of both of you right now. Take a deep breath and focus on what needs to be done." Ava went to work while handing out directions to both Gus and Anna. Anna had grabbed a sponge and bucket of warm water and had begun to clean up Daryl. He had black smut on his face from the smoke. Anna wiped it off quickly. Ava stitched up his head wound and then began pulling out splinters from Daryl's chest and stomach. Anna noticed that Daryl had some pretty heavy-duty scars on his back and stomach, and wondered what had happened to him in his past. She would let him tell her about that on his own terms. The burns on Daryl's arm and shoulder were what concerned Ava the most. He was going to be in a lot of pain, and at a high risk for infection. She debrided the wounds with great precision. Even though she hadn't been an active nurse in many years, raising three children in a fairly isolated area had allowed her to keep up her skills. They could tell Daryl was in a lot of pain as he winced each time she would work on his burn wounds. Anna jumped up, "Mama, I almost forgot, we have pain medicine. I grabbed some at a Wal-Mart we scavenged on the way up here. Let me go get em, they have got to help." Gus hollered at Anna to stay put and said he would go get the meds out of the truck. He returned with a few large bottles of percocet, oxycontin, and vicodin. Ava decided that based on Daryl's current condition that the percocet would be the best option. She crushed up one of pills and Gus and Anna helped lift Daryl up so he could drink the medicine down. They eased him back carefully onto the pillow.

After about two hours Ava had Daryl in as good of shape as she possibly could. His breathing was still a bit labored, but she didn't think he had a collapsed lung, which was a small miracle considering how he landed when he fell. The pain medicine had kicked in and Daryl seemed to be resting as comfortable as possible. Anna took his hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. She was so scared she was going to lose him. She prayed that everything her mother had done for him was going to be enough. Anna got up on the bed with Daryl as carefully as she could. No matter what, she wasn't going to leave his side until she was sure he was going to be all right. She had suffered too much painful loss in the past year and she wasn't ready to let Daryl go. She fell asleep curled up beside him. She didn't hear him say her name as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Over and over, he was whispering "Anna, Anna, Anna…."Even in his current state, she was all he could think about.


	12. Chapter 12

**OK Folks, Chapter 12 is now here. No exciting action, just some quality Anna and Daryl time. For now I am not taking Daryl and Anna to the "next" level. He is too inexperienced for that, and after all, she is really close to having her baby. When the relationship does get to that point, if y'all want, I will probably change the rating to "M". Not sure if I am brave enough to write about intimate moments, but if y'all would like it, let me know. This story had gone in a completely different direction than what I envisioned, but these two have taken on a life of their own. **

It had been four days since the accident, and Daryl was in and out of consciousness. Mostly because of the dosage of pain medicine Ava had been giving him. Her worst fears were coming true and Daryl was now running a fever. Despite all her efforts, he had developed an infection. Ava, Gus, and Anna were running round the clock shifts to stay with him. He had managed to eat a bit that Anna had cooked for him, but he was unable to stay awake very long before the pain from his burn would leave him in agony. So Ava would give him more medication so he could at least sleep. Anna was sitting with him late one evening when he awoke and he noticed how tired she looked. Weakly he said, "Hey girl, you need to get some sleep. You look like hell." She reached out for his hand and kissed him on the knuckles. If he didn't hurt so badly he would have melted at her touch. "Daryl, please get better, get better for me. I need you, I want you, please don't leave me." He tried to muster a smile, "don't you worry about me, nothing can kill a Dixon but a Dixon." She exhaled the breath she was holding and kissed him again. This time she kissed him gently on his mouth. He was so weak he couldn't even reciprocate. His response was "I want a rain check on that, I'm gonna kiss you, and kiss you right." She nodded and said, "I'm gonna hold you to that, you can count on it, and don't go blaming the pain meds." He smiled again and drifted back into sleep.

For three days he had hallucinations from his fever. He kept envisioning Merle coming at him after he turned, He saw Sophia coming out of the barn, and He heard the gunshot that ended Andrea's suffering. All the horrible tragedy that he had endured but had attempted to keep locked up was now coming at him full force. He would yell out as outstretched arms tried to take him and pull him down. He saw himself ending Dale's life as he struggled on Hershel's farm. He saw visions of Anna as she took his face into her hands, only to be greeted with cold dead eyes and snarling teeth. When he would wake from his dreams, he was confused and terrified. He could no longer tell what was reality and what was a hallucination. The only comfort he had was that when he did wake, Anna was there to hold his hand, wipe his brow, and help him sip water. He had been too sick to eat and Ava was afraid that his condition was deteriorating quickly. They were all afraid that despite their best efforts that they were going to lose Daryl. Anna wouldn't leave his side, even though Ava had insisted that she get rest, Anna refused.

Finally on the third day, Gus came into Daryl's room and coaxed Anna out into the living room. Ava went in and locked the door. Anna was angry that her parents had just shut her out like that. Gus spoke, "Anna, you have to do something to relax, this isn't good for the baby. Stress at this stage in your pregnancy can be detrimental. Go rest, play the piano, get some fresh air, do what you need, but you have to take it easy. Your mama and I can take care of Daryl. He's strong, he will pull through, but he would have a fit if he knew you were running yourself ragged like this." Her bottom lip quivered as she stifled a sob. "Daddy, I don't want to lose him. I hardly know him, but he makes me feel hope for the first time in a long time." Gus placed a loving hand on his daughter's back and patted her gently. "I know baby girl. He is a gift to all of us, especially for what he was willing to give up to make sure you are safe." Anna threw herself into her father's arms and broke down into tears. Her daddy could see the same qualities in Daryl she could, and that confirmed in her that her feelings for him were real, not just a school girl crush.

Anna took her father's advice and went and lay down in her room. She slept for a few hours and when she awoke, she felt much stronger. She got up and went to Daryl's room, but her mom still refused to let her in. "Mama, why can't I see him, Is he…?" Ava shook her head, "No darling, but he needs to rest and I think you need a bit more rest as well. You can sit with him tonight after dinner." She nodded obediently and wandered off to the living room. She sat down at the Piano and started to press down on the keys. Anna had been a talented piano player since she was a teenager. She would often play for churches and retirement homes in the area up until the time she married and moved away. Even after she married when she was stressed or bored she would play her piano for John. It was her hobby that she enjoyed, but for obvious reasons after the world fell to pieces, she wasn't able to enjoy the gift she had been given. She started to hum to herself and began playing one of her favorites, "Tiny dancer." She started off slow, but it came back to her as she continued to play, she began singing the verses as she went. For a moment, she forgot about everything that had been going on and was lost in the music.

Daryl thought he had died. Was he in heaven? He heard music that he swore were angels singing. His eyes fluttered open and he saw Ava sitting in the chair beside him. If he were dead, why would Ava be here? But he still heard the music, and it was beautiful. "Am I dead?" Ava came to his side immediately and placed her hand on his head. For the first time in days he actually felt cool to the touch. His fever had broken. "No Mr. Dixon, you are very much alive." She took his hand lovingly and squeezed it reassuringly. Ava went to the door of Daryl's room and spoke "Anna, come here, I think there is someone who might want to see you." Anna immediately jumped up from the piano bench and ran into Daryl's room. He still looked weak and pale, but his eyes looked lucid for the first time in days. She ran over to him and grabbed both of his hands into hers and started kissing them. "Daryl, you scared the hell out of me." He looked up at her weakly and said, "Sorry girl, why didn't you tell me you were an Angel. I could listen to you sing and die a happy man." He grinned at her weakly, but seemed to be alert. Anna replied, "I ain't no angel, but if that is what it takes to bring you back to us, I will sing until I am blue in the face." Daryl replied, "Just promise me I can hear you sing again sometime." She replied reassuringly "I promise, anytime you want."

Gus came in and relieved Anna and Ava. Anna didn't want to leave him again, but both women knew he probably wanted a bit of privacy. Gus helped him get up so he could go in the bathroom and relieve himself. Daryl was a bit wobbly, and still in a pretty good amount of pain, but he was able to get up. Anna made a venison stew, thinking that it would be easy for Daryl to digest. She brought it back into his room and set the bowl down. "Do you think you can eat this yourself or do you want me to help you?" Daryl spoke, "I'm a grown man, I think I can feed myself. You don't need to keep fussing over me like you are. I gotta buck up and tough this shit out. I should be fussing over you. How are you doing anyway?" Her eyes lit up and she said, "I am doing great now. I really thought you were done for. I hated to be negative, but you were so sick. Mom and dad locked me out of here just so I would get some rest. Even though they won't admit it, I think they thought we were gonna lose you, and I could tell that it was devastating them. They care about you deeply even though they have only known you for a short period of time…I care about you deeply."

Daryl knew he wasn't hallucinating. She just said it outright. She cared about him. Any bit of doubt he had about her was gone. This was real. For the first time in Daryl Dixon's life, someone that he had feelings for actually cared for him back. The joy he felt inside made his stomach flutter. Now it was his turn to reciprocate, "Anna, I have never had a relationship with anyone. I don't know how to have a relationship, but this feeling I get when I'm with you isn't like nothing I ever felt before. You make me smile and you give me a comfort. If you wanted the moon, I would reach up with every part of me and give it to you. I wanna take care of you, I wanna hold you, and I don't ever wanna let you go. I'm sure I'm gonna fuck up, so please, help me so I can do this right. I don't know where to begin, but I will die trying to make you happy." Anna beamed brightly, "Well you just started out perfectly, but let's not talk about dying, and don't you worry about a thing. You just be Daryl and you will keep me happy." She leaned down and kissed him on the mouth. The warmth of her lips made him tingle. He really didn't have any experience with kissing; hell he didn't have any experience with females in general. He had always been too much of an asshole for anyone to ever want to be with him. He didn't care before, but now was as good of time as any to learn. Her lips felt like silk. He gently kissed back. To be honest, that was all the energy he had, but she seemed to enjoy it. She grasped his hair between her fingers and just continued to kiss him softly. His heart felt like it would beat out of his chest. She pulled away slowly. "I know things seem to be moving fast, but in this world you don't ever know how long you have. Thank you for being you. Whatever you want or need from me, I will give you. It will just barely scratch the surface of what you have done for me."

Ava came in later that evening and changed the dressings on Daryl's wounds. The infection seemed to be clearing up. Even though they had antibiotics that they had picked up at the Wal-Mart run, they weren't quite as strong as what Daryl needed. They were fortunate that his body finally was responding. Daryl asked that they start cutting back on the pain medicine so that he could be more alert. Truth be told, he just wanted to spend more time with Anna. Anna climbed up on the bed with Daryl and curled up on her side next to him. She had him feel the baby as it moved around in her belly. The sensation was amazing to him. He had never been around babies so this was a totally new experience, but everything these days was a new experience. They both talked late into the night until Anna drifted off asleep. Daryl wasn't far behind but his last thoughts as he fell into a restful sleep for the first time in week were of Anna, her family, and his future. He was happy, but true to Daryl Dixon form, he wondered how long this happiness could last.


	13. Chapter 13

**I don't own the walking dead or any of it's awesome characters. **

Daryl's recuperation began to go smoothly and quickly. His burns were healing up and he was growing healthy new skin. It was going to leave an ugly scar, but he wasn't concerned about that. Just another one to add to his already scarred up physique. At least these scars didn't have shame and embarrassment behind them that the other ones had. He was no longer running a fever, and thanks to Anna and Ava, he was eating well. Gus would come in and play chess with Daryl at least once a day, and surprisingly, Daryl was a damn good chess player. They both seemed to look forward to the competition. Anna would spend all her free time sitting with him, making sure he was comfortable and then sharing stories about her past life. He had told her all about everything he had gone through with the group since they had met up in Atlanta. He even shared with her the details of Sophia and Dale's death and the horrors of what he had to do when he found Merle dead and turned. Talking with Anna was easy and natural for him and she hung on every word he spoke. He still had not told her much about his past. Anna hadn't pushed the issue, and he hadn't brought it up. He knew he probably should at some point, but he still kept the horrors of his childhood and the struggles that he had in his prior life to himself. He had only mentioned that his mother had passed away in a house fire when he was young, and that his father had been an alcoholic. He didn't mention the brutal beatings and horrible neglect that he had been subjected too.

As happy as Anna was that Daryl seemed to be on the mend, she herself was now starting to feel bad. She waddled when she walked and she was extremely uncomfortable. Daryl and her mom would take turns rubbing her back in an attempt to make her feel better. Her fingers and feet were starting to swell and Ava made the decision that Anna needed to be on bed rest. Just as Daryl was able to start getting around pretty well, Anna was now (at her mom's insistence) laid up. Ava estimated that Anna was around thirty-eight weeks, which meant she could go into labor at anytime. While he was convalescing, Daryl read and re-read the birthing books that Hershel had given him. Ava had experience with delivering babies, but it had been more than forty years since she had last participated in helping with the birthing process. The plan was that between the two of them they hoped to have a normal delivery for Anna. Ava would take the lead and Daryl would assist. Gus would be there to supply moral support, but Anna felt uncomfortable with her daddy being there while she was actually going through the birthing process. Truth be told she was nervous about Daryl being there too. They had not been intimate and she didn't want this to be his first introduction to her lady parts. Ava had educated them on some old mountain techniques that were used to help alleviate some of the pain of labor. Daryl listened intently to everything Ava was saying. He knew labor was a painful process and he wanted to do whatever he could to make the process as painless as possible.

One evening Anna was laying in her bed with her feet elevated and Daryl came in and sat down on the bed beside her. Without thinking he motioned for her to roll onto her side and he pushed her shirt up in the back and began rubbing it for her. Daryl asked her "You getting nervous?"

She chuckled, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. There is so much that could go wrong, but I'm gonna trust that mama knows what she is doing, and I will have Dr. Dixon with us too." She giggled at the last comment.

"Yeah, not sure how much help I will be, the way I see it if I don't pass out I have done something incredible." Daryl replied.

"You will be fine. I was thinking of setting up the baby stuff we got at Wal-Mart in here. That way we won't have to worry about it when the time comes. It could actually be anytime now."

Anna replied, "Yeah. I want you to know that I'm a little nervous about you seeing me like 'that' if you get what I mean? I hope that one day we will get to experience each other, but I don't want what you see with child-birth to freak you out."

Daryl had thought about this already. It was going to be weird, but this was nature, and this was just how things worked. Other than some movies and magazines that Merle had, Daryl hadn't really been exposed to live naked females. He had to admit to himself that he was a prude when it came to sex. He just never tried to think about it because in his mind it never seemed to lead anything good other than a few moments of pleasure. Merle went through women like a hot knife through butter. He had always seen women as a distraction. But his feelings towards Anna had changed this. He wanted to be with her, he wanted to hold her and he wanted intimacy with her. But he felt he needed to be honest with her. She had obviously had experiences with at least one other man, and she had been with him for 20 years. Daryl was starting at ground zero. He felt the best way to handle this was to be up front with her.

He spoke, "Anna, there is something I want to tell you. I don't want you to think any less of me for this, but I ain't ever been with a woman."

Anna's eyes opened wide. To say she was shocked by his revelation was an understatement. How someone as manly and handsome as Daryl Dixon had never been with a woman was beyond her thought capacity. "Really, well that surprises me."

Daryl's face fell a bit. There it was, he could see her disappointment. But what she said next shocked him.

"Daryl, I don't care. Look, I'm not even capable of sex at this time, and once I have the baby, it will still be at least another six weeks before I can consider it. We can work on this slowly. I am by no means a sex goddess. John was really the only person I was ever with. Don't forget that I was married at 19, and that didn't give me a lot of time to have accumulated conquests. You know my parents, do you think that they would have let me sleep around when I was a teenager. It's Ok, in fact, its better than Ok, it's perfect. We can learn together. I will let you take the lead, and we will do or not do whatever you are comfortable with. This is going to be a new experience with me too. Don't worry about a thing. We will be fine. I want our first time to be something special, not just a moment of awkward fumbling and physical release. We are both adults, we can handle this."

The look of relief on his face was priceless. He looked at her and smiled, "You're amazing, this ain't something I ain't never told no one, but thanks. I just didn't want you expecting too much from me if…. Well, you know." He leaned over and kissed her. She cupped his face in her hands and deepened the kiss. His lips were gentle, almost tentative when he kissed her first, but as she seemed to continue encourage the kiss it became hungrier. Daryl's head spun and Anna's stomach fluttered. There was definitely a spark of passion that ignited both of them and neither one of them wanted the kiss to end. She ran her fingers through his hair trying to grip him closer to her. He slipped his mouth down to her neck slowly, her breathing intensified. It felt strange to her to be with someone other than John, but it wasn't a bad feeling, no guilt, it was a good feeling, like her life was starting over again. Daryl felt like he could do this for hours, but he knew he had to stop and gather his wits about him again. He slowly pulled away, but he had a smile on his face that could light up a room. Anna knew he didn't smile that often, and the look on his face gave her a joy that she didn't know she could feel anymore. She wanted him to be happy. As much as he wanted her to be safe, she wanted him to smile like that forever. She made up her mind that she would do whatever it took to make sure he was happy, for once in his life, he deserved it. She looked directly into his blue eyes with her big brown eyes and simply said. "Stay with me tonight, I want to feel you lying beside me when I sleep." He nodded and wrapped his arms around her. They both fell asleep to the other one's heart beating.

Daryl awoke first the next morning. He quietly got out of bed, but not before placing a soft kiss on Anna's cheek. She looked beautiful lying there in the early morning light. He decided he would take a shower and grab some breakfast before anyone was awake. He wanted to get outside and enjoy some solitude just for a moment. The hot water was a luxury that Daryl would never take for granted again. Gus really was an amazing man to be able to keep this place running with some remaining modern conveniences. He got out of the shower and dried off and put on some clean clothes. Ava was somehow able to get his clothes presentable again. He really was becoming attached to these people and they seemed to genuinely care about him. He quietly walked down to the kitchen and fixed himself some coffee. He proceeded through the house and went out the back door to sit on the deck. The views from this place were majestic. The early morning fog was sitting below the tops of the mountains and the only sounds you could hear were that of the birds. It gave him time to think. He knew that no matter what he wasn't going to leave Anna. And he figured that Anna would want to stay here with her parents. Why wouldn't she, it was safe and comfortable, much more so than the prison had been. He could help Gus secure some of the weaker spots around them and make the place nearly impenetrable. By staying here with Anna he knew he would never see the prison again. Before he knew it, tears were sliding down his cheek and he quietly began to sob. He felt so many emotions, guilt for leaving them behind, happiness that he had found Anna, acceptance from Gus and Ava, and a sense of loss knowing he would never see Rick and the others again. They had helped him grow into a man. Before them he had been an adolescent in a man's body. So emotionally stunted that he couldn't function without his brother telling him what to do or think. But the trust that Rick and the others put in him helped him grow into a man and part of being a man was feeling emotion. Emotions could be painful, but they could also let him feel confidence, comfort, and dare he say it, love. He was startled from his thoughts when Gus came out and sat down in a chair beside him. "Morning Daryl. Hope I didn't disturb you, I know sometimes a man just wants some quiet time to reflect." Daryl knew that Gus had seen the tears, and normally he would be embarrassed, but Gus never made him feel like any less than a man. "Nah, I'm good. What would you say about trying to go hunt this morning." Gus's face lit up. "You sure you're up to it? Your arm and shoulder are barely healed." Daryl replied, "Now is as good as time as any to try, I need to build the strength back up." Before Gus could reply they both heard an unmistakable sound of a truck. It was coming up the mountain, which could only mean that they knew the combination to get in the gate or they had broken the fence. Immediately Daryl and Gus ran into the house to arm them. Gus hollered for Ava to go get Anna and take her down to the safe room. They weren't taking any chances. A few minutes later the truck stopped in front of the house and the door opened. Out stepped an extremely large dark haired man. Gus stepped back at the appearance of the man, but it was obvious he knew who he was. "Hey pop, you got room for a few more?"

**This was kind of a long chapter. I have a few ideas as to where I want to go with this, but I'm not exactly sure. Thank you to all of you have left reviews and have favorited/followed the story. Its encouraging to me. I apologize for any grammar errors in advance. I am sure it would make some of my old English teachers cringe. Hope you enjoy and please leave a review and let me know what you think. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey y'all...another chapter for you. Thank you so much for the favorites and follows. Hope all of you are enjoying this story. Please don't forget to review so I know how I am doing. As usual, I don't own the walking dead. **

Marco Gianni Martinelli was no angel. In fact, he was closer to one of Hell's minions. How such a monster could have been created from such loving people as Ava and Gus was beyond anyone's comprehension. He had a history of extreme volatility and violence. One moment he could be laughing and joking, and the next he could be attempting to kill you with is bare hands. He was an ominous presence in the room. With black hair, olive skin, and standing at 6'3 and 240 pounds, he was a big man. He was two years younger than Anna and had been a handful since birth. When he was eighteen years old he went into a rage when Gus wouldn't let him use the car and beat Gus so badly that the doctors weren't sure he was going to survive. Over the next twenty years he spent the majority of his time in and out of prison for illegal drug possession and numerous assaults. His extreme drug use only enhanced his mental instability. After his last stint in the North Carolina Correctional system, the judge had mandated that he be institutionalized until they could get his bipolar disorder under control and find the proper drug dosage so that he could maintain some control and not be such a danger to others. It actually worked and for the eight months prior to the apocalypse, Marco was actually a reasonable person to be around. However, it was safe to assume that those meds were now long gone and Marco was most likely back to his violent nature.

Ava had one weakness, Marco. It was understandable, he was her only son and she loved him dearly. She had tried so hard from early on to help him get his violence and frustration under control. Marco knew how to be extremely charming when he wanted something, and Ava fell for it every time. She just knew that "this time things are going to be different" even though they never were. She bailed him out of so many messes that Gus and Anna tried to intervene and get her to show him tough love. Whether anyone wanted to admit it or not, Ava had enabled Marco and that made his problems that much worse. Finally, after the incident with Gus, she allowed charges to be brought against Marco and he served his first time behind bars. Even while incarcerated, he stayed in trouble. An initial sentence of one year stretched to two years after her racked up numerous violations in prison, and Ava was unable to intervene. She visited him behind bars every chance she could and made sure his prison charge account always had the max available to him. She did attempt to keep this from Gus and Anna, but Marco's constant bragging about being "mama's favorite" gave her away each time. Marco was the dark cloud that hovered over the seemingly perfect family. Anna moved away from home as soon as she could just to avoid living under the same roof as Marco as he always treated her horribly. He verbally abused her and on occasion, he would get violent with her if she tried to retaliate against him.

Gus was not happy that Marco was standing here in front of him. Not only that, he had Crystal McGhee, a local 'dancer' known for her extra-curricular activities, with him. Crystal had three children with three different men. She was an incredibly beautiful girl, with no real abilities other than the fact she had a phenomenally sexy body that she knew how to use to get what she wanted. This wasn't good, but what was Gus to do, he couldn't throw them out now that they were here. Marco gave Gus a hug that was a little less than loving. He was obviously trying to get back in Gus's good graces. "Hi Pops, its been a while. I'm so glad you made it through all of this. We was hoping you could put us up for a while, we've been on the road pretty much since the beginning, and we are desperate for a place to stay." Gus looked at Marco suspiciously and asked bluntly, "Where's Crystals kids, are they with you?" Crystal gasped and burst out crying, Marco simply said, "They didn't make it, she's taking it kinda hard." Well at least she had shown some ability to care for something that was outside of herself.

Daryl was trying to wrap his mind around the situation, but was struggling. Anna had told him plenty about her brother. He was dangerous and most likely a direct threat to Anna. However, he was Gus and Ava's son, so what was he going to do. He stood there stoically and finally Marco acknowledged him, "Who the hell are you?" Gus jumped in before Daryl could respond, "This is Daryl, he has been taking care of your sister, we lost John. Anna is about to give birth and Daryl has been protecting and caring for her. We are very lucky she found him. He has helped us immensely while he has been here and we are encouraging him and Anna to stay permanently." Marco looked less than happy. He eyed Daryl with a look that could kill. Daryl, never being one to back down, eyed Marco back with his own intimidating glare. Marco spoke again, "Well, I don't know who the hell you are but you best not be trying to take advantage of my folks or my sister." Daryl simply replied, "I ain't."

Crystal eyed Daryl like a conquest. He had known plenty of girls like her through Merle's shenanigans. They were always good for a quick roll in the hay for fifty bucks or a quick fix. They had always disgusted Daryl. If he had wanted too, he could have had plenty of women like Crystal, but as many times as Merle had come home with some STD from God knows who Daryl had decided to steer clear of strippers, whores, and drug fiends. He noticed that Crystal had a lost look in her eyes. She was probably still grieving losing her kids. Marco seemed unconcerned about her sadness, and to be honest, he probably was relieved that he didn't have to help take care of them. Daryl actually felt a little sorry for her. He hoped that Marco had at least been treating the girl right. Crystal spoke suddenly "Did you say Anna was having a baby? I want to see her; it's been a long time since we saw each other last. We were in school together." Gus showed them into the house. He asked Daryl if he would mind moving his stuff into Anna's room so that Marco and Crystal could stay in there. The request actually excited Daryl. He had been sleeping with Anna, so why not make it official and just share her room.

Not two minutes after being in the house, Ava flew out of Anna's room and grabbed Marco into a big hug. She was so happy to see her son. She always managed to forget all of the transgressions that Marco had committed in the past to both their family and their friends. She embraced Crystal into a welcoming hug. Crystal smiled brightly. Ava had that way about her where she could make anyone feel instantly loved. Crystal asked immediately to see Anna, and Ava lead her into the room. Daryl went immediately to his room and gathered up his few belongings and headed into Anna's room. Now it would be their room. He entered in only to find Crystal chatting away to Anna and rubbing her stomach almost possessively. Something seemed off about the way Crystal was attracted to Anna. He chocked it up to being female and didn't give it another thought. After Crystal spent about an hour talking Anna's ear off about her pregnancy, Ava excused herself to prepare dinner. Sensing that Daryl and Anna would like some privacy, she told Crystal she would show her to the room that her and Marco would be staying in. She thanked Daryl for agreeing to give up his room and move in with Anna, then gave him a quick wink. Ava knew that Daryl and Anna were falling in love with each other. It made her happy that had each other. In all the horrors that were life now, it was good that the two had found each other.

Daryl quickly kissed Anna. "You look tired, I didn't think that Crystal girl would ever shut up." Anna laughed, "She just is excited about babies. She had three of her own. I guess she is missing them terribly. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose a child. It would be like a part of you was gone forever." Daryl just shrugged. "You want me to rub your feet for ya?" She jumped at the chance, "That would be incredible. I promise not to tell anyone that Big Bad Daryl Dixon was willing to rub my feet…" The both laughed out loud at her statement. "By the way, in case you ain't figured it out, were roomies now" he said. Her eyes twinkled in bliss. "Bout time you got up the nerve to move in here with me." Daryl rubbed Anna's feet and was working his way up her lower legs as she began to doze. Ava knocked on the door and told them that dinner was ready. Anna knew she was going to have to face Marco. Of course, he hadn't bothered to even come in and say hello or ask how she was doing. Marco didn't like Anna, and Anna was terrified of Marco.

Dinner started off smoothly. Ava had laid out quite a spread of Venison, vegetables, potatoes, homemade bread, and gravy. Even Daryl had to admit it looked like Thanksgiving to him. She had prepared a blackberry cobbler for desert. Daryl prayed Anna could cook as well as her mama. They were all swapping stories and remembering past good times. Everyone seemed to be enjoying himself or herself and the tension level was at a minimum. Daryl even laughed at a few stories Marco had told about some of Anna's past escapades.

Gus commented on what a good Athlete that Anna had been and Marco's mood seemed to change immediately. "Yeah Pops, Anna was perfect. I know I was nothing but a big disappointment to you, but if you had ever given me the time of day I could have been something." Ava tried to intervene immediately, "Now Marco, that wasn't what your father was saying at all, you know how much we used to enjoy travelling to Anna's softball games." Marco stood up and banged the table, "You enjoyed them, He enjoyed them, I hated them. I hated seeing her out there like she was an Olympic athlete or something. NOTHING I EVER DID WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR HIM…." The rage was quickly bubbling over. Anna's was right, he could just lose his shit at the drop of a hat. Marco jumped up and immediately went after Gus, before he could even make it over to Gus, Daryl grabbed Marco and spun him around. The anger in Marco's eyes was unmistakable. Marco swung at Daryl, "You fucking son of a bitch, who the fuck do you think you are trying to come in here and take over, I will show you what happens when you try to fuck with me!" Daryl was lucky enough to avoid most of the blow. There was a pretty good size difference between Marco and Daryl, but Daryl had the advantage of being quicker. Marco charged Daryl and knocked him to the floor. Ava, Anna, and Crystal jumped in and were able to pull Marco off of Daryl. Daryl had anger in his eyes that Anna had never seen. It was controlled, but it was still there. Anna pulled Daryl away from Marco, and Ava and Crystal pulled Marco away from Daryl. Marco caught his breath and stared Daryl down. Gus said nothing. Gus had always for some unknown reason been a catalyst for Marco's rage. Once Marco gained control he simply looked at Daryl and said, "Sorry, won't happen again." Daryl was surprised at how quickly Marco gave in. He nodded at Marco and then Marco grabbed Crystal and pulled her into their room. The rest of them stood there stunned. This was going to be a problem. Before anyone could speak Anna's expression on her face changed, "Um guys, I think my water just broke." All three of them looked at her as she stood in a puddle on the floor. Things were fixing to change real fast.


	15. Chapter 15

**As promised, here is the next installment. I want to thank everyone (again) for all your words of encouragement. I know nothing about child-birth, so if anything is crazy or far fetched here, I apologize. Just so you know, there is some serious psychotic Marco in this chapter. The man needs some lithium or something...and as usual, I do not own the walking dead or its characters. **

Well at first after her water broke, Anna thought everything was going to be a piece of cake. Other than being uncomfortable and embarrassed, nothing hurt. About an hour later the first contractions started and reality set in. Daryl was initially in worse shape than Anna. He was nervous and apprehensive, Ava actually considered giving him a shot of liquor for him to calm down. However, she needed him sharp in case something went wrong. Anna tolerated the initial contractions well, but as they progressed she was beginning to hurt a lot worse. Ava had Daryl putting direct pressure on Anna's lower back each time she had a contraction. His strength both physically and emotionally was helping her get through the labor and eased some of the pain. After about six hours, she looked exhausted. Daryl was talking to her in a soothing voice, trying to keep her focused on the task at hand. Ava was monitoring her dilation and the timing between contractions. She kept assuring both of them that everything was still normal.

Gus, Crystal, and Marco were perched just outside the room awaiting news. Ava would pop out periodically and give them updates on Anna's progress. A couple of times Crystal begged to be in the room with Anna, but Ava had told her Anna wanted privacy. Crystal looked devastated at being denied access to the room. Gus was nervous, this was his first grandchild and all he cared about was that Anna and the baby would be healthy. He had all the faith in the world in Ava, but knew that if there were any complications Ava was very limited in what she could do. Marco was seething inside. Once again, in his mind, Anna was getting all the attention. He secretly hoped that her baby would die and with any luck, take Anna in the process. Then he could kick that dirt bag she had with her out of this place and Ava and Gus would see how great of a son he really was. That bitch of a sister had always managed to steal his spotlight. The only reason he was even sitting here outside of her room was that Crystal wanted to be close to the new baby and he didn't want his parents to know how he really felt about his sister. Hell, her parents even were treating Daryl better than they were treating him. Marco knew in his heart he was going to have to do something drastic but necessary, but he hadn't quite decided what yet. Yet being the key word, but he was forming a plan in his mind.

In the eighth hour Ava finally said Anna was ready to push. Anna was covered in sweat and looked about as miserable as Daryl thought someone could look. He had continued to soothe her through the contractions, but he knew she still had to be hurting like hell. Ava looked at Daryl and gave him and Anna instructions.

"OK, Daryl, when I tell Anna to push, I want you to count to ten. Anna, you push the entire time he is counting. Hopefully, we won't have to do this too many times. Are you two ready for this?"

Both Anna and Daryl replied "yes" in unison. Anna couldn't believe that her baby was going to be here shortly. It was her last bit of John she had left, yet it was the one piece of him that would carry on his legacy. She wouldn't allow herself to be sad. John wouldn't want her to be at this moment. He would have been proud that his child was about to be born. She was also blessed to have Daryl here with her. He would never be a replacement for John, but he was part of the next phase of her life. He supported her unconditionally and there was no denying the feelings that they had for each other. The two broken hearts were now merged as one and were now experiencing probably one of the most cherished moment's that life could give, together.

"OK, Daryl start counting, " Ava started them off. Daryl began to count at a steady pace and Anna pushed with all her might, she could feel the child moving slowly through the birth canal, and it hurt.

Ava gave her next instructions, "OK, take a deep breath, I can already see the top of the head." After a few minutes, Ava instructed them to repeat the steps. Anna was gripping Daryl's hand so strongly that he was sure she was going to break it. They continued repeating the pushing and the counting for another thirty minutes. Both Ava and Daryl coached her through the process, offering words of encouragement.

Anna then asked weakly, "Mama, how much longer, I don't think I can do this anymore." Daryl could sense how exhausted and how much pain she was in. He took her chin in his hands and turned her head so she was looking directly into his blue eyes. "Listen baby girl, you can do this. You squeeze my hand until you break it if you gotta. You're gonna be just fine. We are almost there, you owe John a healthy baby and you ain't come this far to chicken out now. You, We are gonna get through this." Too tired to speak, she simply nodded. Ava offered up some more words of encouragement.

"OK Anna-Maria, I think in about 3 more good pushes we can welcome this baby into the world. I can see the crown. So let's just focus and get this baby out. I want to meet my grandchild." Once again Daryl started to count, and Anna pushed with all her might. She let out a yell as she pushed. Ava was almost right. Anna's daughter made her entrance into the world after only two pushes, not three.

Gus heard it first, the baby's first cries. He was now officially a grandpa. With all the bad in the world, there was now another generation of his family that would carry on. He was so proud of his daughter for all she endured and he couldn't help the overwhelming emotion that overcame him. Tears were rolling down his cheek. Tears of joy and happiness. He still didn't know if he had a grandson or a granddaughter, but the healthy cries he heard let him know that a child had been born. Only twice had Gus had these feelings of unconditional love that he had felt right now, and that was when his own children had been born almost 40 years ago.

Ava had tears in her eye as well. After she wiped off the baby and followed up with the post birth procedures and checks, it was time to cut the umbilical chord. She looked at Daryl and asked him if he wanted to cut the chord. He wasn't sure what to say or do. He looked at Anna, and she gave him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen and told him to go ahead. After all she had gone through in the past hours, and as tired as she was, she was positively glowing. Daryl thought to himself that he didn't think he had ever seen a more magnificent sight. He followed Ava's directions and cut the chord. Ava then swaddled the little girl and handed her to her mother. Anna began to cry when she looked at the angelic face of her daughter. Daryl reached down and touched the little girl's hands and kissed her little face. Anna spoke, "Mama, have the rest of the family come in here, I want to introduce them to the newest member of the family." Ava went to the door and invited everyone in.

"Everyone, I want you to meet my sweet little girl. This is Hunter Michelle Bettatucci." Daryl thought the name was perfect. "Daryl, Thank you. I couldn't have done this without your strength and encouragement. You didn't give up on me, and you didn't let me give up." He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. They were interrupted by Crystal rushing over to the side of the bed begging to hold the baby. Daryl was a little flabbergasted by Crystal's enthusiasm, and Anna wasn't sure she was quite ready to let her daughter go just yet. However, Anna remembered that Crystal had recently lost three of her own children and that holding Hunter might offer just a bit of comfort for her tragic loss. So reluctantly, she handed the baby over to Crystal. Crystal started crying and hugging the baby to her. It really was beginning to freak out Daryl as well as Ava. Something seemed off, and the situation was quickly becoming awkward. Marco tried to remedy the situation by taking the baby from Crystal. "Let Uncle Marco hold his baby niece." Ava looked relieved and had never been so proud of her son as she was in that moment. Anna however was more than a little nervous with Marco holding Hunter, and Daryl didn't take his eye off of him for one second. But Marco seemed harmless.

Marco held the little girl in his arms. He smiled brightly on the outside, but inside he wanted to do nothing more than take the child and slam her up against the wall and end its precious life. He already hated her. Hated the fact that he would never be able to give his parents a child. Crystal couldn't have anymore children, and it wasn't like there was an abundance of women around these days. Hell it was a damn miracle Anna even got pregnant. The family had pretty much written her off as barren after twenty years of marriage to John. And as far as he knew, this might not even be John's kid. He wouldn't put it past his sister to whore around. Look whom she was with now, nothing but a white trash hick. He was sure Daryl hadn't lived in anything but a two-bedroom shack or trailer. Marco felt Daryl was going to sway his family into believing that Marco was evil and would have to leave. Anna had already done a good job of fooling them into believing he was a bad person. The longer he held the baby, the angrier and more jealous he became. The wheels in his head were turning, unfortunately there were going to have to be sacrifices made, but he had a plan that would win his parent's approval and take care of the problem that was Daryl and Anna. Marco handed the baby back to Anna. He would allow her to enjoy her baby for a few more days, but after that, shit was gonna change. Anna was going to pay for all the misery she had caused him.

Gus and Ava finally got to hold sweet little Hunter. Both were crying as they held their granddaughter. Immediately Gus was reduced to babbling in baby talk and everyone laughed at the sight before them. He began singing (badly) an Italian lullaby. She had stolen his heart and was just a few minutes old. That was all it took. Gus swore that as long as there was breath left in his body, Hunter would be cared for and want for nothing. It was the same sentiment that Daryl shared. Hunter was going to know nothing but love and happiness. That was a promise they all made that night in the room.

After about forty-five minutes or so, everyone had decided to leave Anna and Daryl to give them some privacy. Ava had given the both of them instructions on nursing the baby (Daryl just listened, thankfully he wouldn't need to help in this department). Anna asked Daryl to hand her a baby blanket and as discreetly as possible, she lowered her shirt and let Hunter latch on. The child immediately began suckling and Anna experienced a bonding with her baby that she never thought would be possible. She had always been repulsed by breast-feeding, but now she embraced it. This was the greatest gift she had ever received and she didn't want this feeling to ever end. If she had even suspected the thoughts going through her brother's head at the present time, she would kill him dead on the spot. Pure evil and hate were in the next room over and everyone was oblivious to what was going to happen soon.

**Please let me know how I am doing. I want to make this story as good as possible, the grammar might be bad, but at least I want to make it entertaining. Feel free to leave a review. Above all...Please enjoy!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Well I am not pleased with this chapter. My mind was having some issues focusing. Hope you enjoy it anyway, and please review, review, review. Thanks so much for all the favs and follows, and for the reviews you have left. I try to respond to them as I get them. If you have any suggestions, just let me know. Take care y'all. **

Daryl and Anna were sitting on the bed admiring Hunter. Daryl was in love with the perfect little girl, and he didn't think her mommy was so bad either. He looked at Anna and spoke, "You done good. I'm real proud of ya. I know this has been hard on ya, but I'm here as long as you want me, and we can raise her up together. You got me?" He took her face in his hands and kissed her ever so gently on the head. She took his arm gently, and in a choked up voice said, "You're perfect. Anyone says different then they are a liar." Daryl didn't think he could be any happier, but hearing what Anna just said to him he felt he could die right now and be a happy man. As they were quietly talking there was a knock on the door and Ava came in rolling a baby bassinet. Anna immediately recognized it. "My great grandfather made that by hand for my Grammy, It's over a hundred years old. Mama, where did you have this?" Ava told her that it been in her closet filled with old dolls that she had collected. Daryl admired the craftsmanship of the antique. It was going to work out conveniently. It even was lined with pink silk. Daryl gently took Hunter from Anna and placed her in the bassinet. The baby stirred just a little, then took a breath and fell back to sleep.

The next week was a whirlwind for all of them. Anna would pump, feed, pump, feed some more, and pump again. Hunter was a very hungry baby. She would need to be changed six to ten times a day and Daryl would roll up his sleeves and help right out. Crystal was becoming a permanent feature around the baby. She would jump at the chance to feed or hold the baby. Anna was grateful for the help and Crystal would watch her so Anna could sleep. Daryl was still a bit alarmed at the attention Crystal would give the infant, but Crystal was never completely alone with the baby. At least she was allowing Anna to get some rest. Papa Gus was already reading to his granddaughter. He would speak sweet nothings to the little princess in Italian and Ava would gush at how adorable Hunter was. Because of how quickly the baby was going through diapers Daryl decided he was going to risk going on a run to get some more supplies. Marco had jumped at the chance to go on the supply run with him, but Daryl politely declined. He didn't trust the bastard and was sure Marco would try to get rid of him first chance he got.

The next morning Daryl was getting ready to go on his run. He had hoped to be gone less than four hours. There were some stores in town, which was about fifteen miles away. He thought briefly about taking his bike, but decided that he could carry more supplies with the truck. Before he left he went to find Gus. He found him tinkering with one of the generators. Gus looked up to see Daryl coming over to him, and Daryl had a concerned look on his face. "Daryl, you ok? What's on your mind son?" Daryl nodded and whispered, " I need you to keep your guard up, I know he is your son, but I do not trust Marco. Promise me you will look after Anna and the baby." Gus shook his head in agreement. "I don't trust him either, there is just something off about that boy, always has been. I don't want him here, but his mama would kill me if I sent him on his way, and even if I asked him to leave, there would be hell to pay. I'm basically stuck." Daryl asked, "If you want, I can get him to leave, but Ava would be a problem and I think you are gonna have to talk to her about it. She's blind as far as your son goes, so you think about it while I'm gone, and we will discuss it later." Gus just nodded. Both men knew that Marco was nothing but trouble. What they didn't realize was just how much trouble he was, and that trouble just heard everything they said.

It took him about an hour to get to town. He found his way to a drugstore and figured it would be a good place to start. He wasn't the first visitor to the store, but he could tell it had been a while since anyone had been there. Food was pretty much gone, he found a few boxes of pasta and rice, and hamburger helper. There was an empty box by the door, so he started stacking supplies he could find in it. He found diapers and some other baby supplies. He even managed to find some cloth diapers that could be washed and re-used. He checked the pharmacy and found a few bottles of antibiotics and prescription strength ibuprofen. All the controlled substances were long gone. After Daryl had gathered everything he thought would be useful, he broke down and gathered up four stray cartons of cigarettes. He knew it was a filthy habit, but he missed the comfort and relaxation that a nice smoke would give him. He figured he could sneak one every now and then, but definitely not around Anna or the baby. It would be his little secret. He hit a couple other stores and managed to get even more baby supplies. Hunter was going to be set. He found a stuffed rabbit that he thought was cute and added that to the supplies he had scavenged. He finally decided it was time to head back home. Home was such a strange concept to him, but he finally felt like he had a home, even if he was living with a bunch of Italians and crazy stripper. He actually felt his heart race as he eagerly got closer to his destination.

After he got back Marco met him at the truck, more than willing to help him bring the supplies into the house. Daryl was surprised at how friendly Marco was being since the baby had been born. He figured babies had a way of changing folks. Marco began to go on about how happy he was for Daryl and Anna and about how much he "cared" for Crystal. Marco's version of caring for a woman meant she was a good piece of ass that would have sex with him anywhere and anytime he wanted it. Daryl was thankful that he saw so much more in Anna. Even if he never managed to be intimate with Anna, he didn't think he could love her anymore than he loved her now. There was so much more to her than the physical presence. He hoped that they would have a physical relationship eventually, but only because he just wanted to be that much closer to her. The thought of physical intimacy made him nervous, but it was something he wanted with Anna, he wanted to give himself to her completely and she had told him that she was willing. It made his head spin but he wasn't going to think about it. It would happen when the time was right, and thinking about it was just going to make him more nervous.

Anna was sitting on the couch talking to her mom when he went in the house. Gus was holding the baby and Crystal was flanking Gus. Ava had recorded Hunter's birth in the family bible. Daryl found out it was November 20th. He knew it had been late fall, but he had lost track of the dates long ago. He reflected on the date and realized he had a birthday coming December 1. He was going to be forty-three years old. He chuckled to himself. Anna looked up and asked him, "What's so funny?" He looked at her and Ava and simply said, "I'm getting old, I'll be forty three in less than two weeks." Anna just laughed and said, "Well, guess I'm gonna have to kick you to the curb for a younger model." They all got a laugh at that. Daryl just responded by saying, "Nope, your stuck with me, Dixon's are like dogs, faithful to the end." He walked over and gave Anna a kiss and put a hand on Ava's shoulder. Neither one of them were aware just how much Daryl had changed. They didn't know the angry loner that would just as well punch you as say hello. Daryl hoped that person was gone for good. He liked these people and he didn't ever want to leave them.

Daryl went through the supplies with Ava. She was pleased with the haul he picked up. They stacked everything down in the basement so that they would have easy access to everything when they needed it. Marco came down and helped them get everything organized. He asked Ava, "Mama, do you and dad have anything for protection around here?" Daryl's heart stopped. Gus would never reveal to Marco the arsenal he had hidden down in the basement. Ava didn't have any reason not to trust Marco, and before Daryl could intervene, she showed him the hidden arsenal and even where they kept the keys to the locks. This wasn't good. He could see that Marco could barely contain his contentment. Marco just tried to play it off as smooth as possible, "Oh Mama, I'm so glad y'all have all of this. I will sleep better tonight knowing you and dad are protected. I can take care of myself and Crystal, just relieved to know have adequate protection from any threats." Daryl was cringing. He needed to find Gus quick. This was like a grenade with the pin missing. Ava gave her son a loving embrace. "I know how much you love us baby boy. We love you too. I feel like we have two sons here now." Daryl could see Marco visibly shaking at that last comment. Ava asked him what was wrong, and he simply said, "Nothing mama, just caught a chill." Daryl caught the same chill, but his was caused by the fear that death was lurking around this house and this time it was gonna come from within. It was time to act and he needed Gus to help.


	17. Chapter 17

**Craziness everywhere. Here is a quickie this morning before I head to work. Please review. Happy reading to everyone and thank you for all the great support. Once again, I do not own the Walking Dead or it's characters. I might try to get another chapter up tonight. No promises, but this story has taken on a life of it's own.**

Daryl quickly found Gus. "We got a problem. Marco was asking if y'all had protection and Ava showed him the Arsenal and where the key was. Gus, he was smiling. I don't know what he was thinking, but it ain't good. He's planning something big, I can tell." Gus's faced paled rapidly. He knew Marco had to go, and had to go soon. "Let me go talk to Ava. She has coddled that boy for too long, He will be out of here within twenty four hours." Daryl responded, "Just hope it ain't too late. I'll talk to Anna and let her know. We should all be armed just in case. Keep your eyes and ears open for anything suspicious." Him and Gus went back into the house to tell their respective partners about what was going to happen. He felt sorry for Ava, and she wasn't going to handle the news well. He only hoped that she would listen to what Gus had to tell her and accept that this was the right decision.

Anna had been just finished nursing Hunter. She placed the baby down in her little bassinet and got up to go get something to drink in the kitchen. The sight she saw as she passed Marco and Crystal's room sent chills down her spine. Anna had heard Crystal talking to someone. She popped her head in to see who she was speaking with and saw that Crystal had her shirt off, attempting to nurse a doll. At first Anna thought she was seeing things, but quickly realized that Crystal had completely lost all sense of reality. She was coddling the doll and speaking to it as if it was a live baby. Suddenly fear overcame Anna and she realized that Crystal could no longer be trusted around Hunter, even with supervision. Apparently the loss of her children had caused some psychotic break and Crystal was attempting to use Hunter as a substitution, and now she was substituting one of her mother's dolls in place of Hunter. If Anna thought about it, it was truly sad, but she couldn't let sadness interfere with protecting her little girl. Immediately she ran back to the room to check on her baby. She wasn't going to let Hunter out of her sight. She was going to have to tell Daryl and her parents that Crystal needed to leave. She was sure Marco wouldn't take the news well, but as long as Crystal was visiting in Crazy Land she couldn't be anywhere near the baby.

As if on cue, Daryl came to their room and shut the door. He could see the concern on Anna's face and inquired. "Daryl, we got a problem here and Crystal needs to be gone from here soon. She was trying to breast feed a doll. I found her in her room talking to the doll as if it were a real child. Hunter isn't safe with her around, I think she is trying to replace her kids with Hunter, and I don't know what she would do to get her hands on Hunter. I don't trust her mental stability and I am afraid she is going to hurt one of us to get to my baby girl." Daryl took her hand and sat down on the bed. She could tell by the look on his face that something else was going on. "Marco knows about the guns. Your mama showed him everything. Normally that wouldn't be an issue, except your brother looked like a kid at Christmas when she showed him all the weaponry we had. Your dad is in there talking to your mama right now. Marco and Crystal are gonna be told to leave within the next day, and I'm thinking sooner rather than later. I want you to stay in this room with the door locked. Shit could get out of control quick." He then handed her a gun. "Don't hesitate to use this. I don't give a fuck about your brother or his crazy woman, so if either of them so much as glance at you sideways, you don't hesitate to take them out. I told you before we got here that I would stop at nothing to protect you and that meant I would kill your brother if I had too. I hope it don't come to that, but this shit is getting out of control quick." Tears welled up in Anna's eyes, she was sad that her brother was so broken, but she had her sweet innocent baby to think about. She nodded in agreement and Daryl pulled her into a strong embrace. "I am in love with you Anna. I never thought I would know what love is and now that I know I don't ever want it to end. I love Hunter like she is mine and you two make this world bearable." At those words, Anna kissed Daryl with a passion like neither of them had ever shared. Her heart was beating out of control and Daryl groaned when she deepened the kiss. There was desperation, fear, and lust all at the same time. She set a fire in his belly like he had never known. He wanted her desperately, but they had much bigger problems at the moment to deal with and he couldn't let himself get distracted. He slowly pulled away from her, breathing rapidly. "Stay in here and watch our little girl."

Ava's heart was breaking. She did not believe what Gus was telling her. She knew deep down that Gus was right, but it still hurt. The bond that a mother had with a child wasn't something that could be broken so easily. She pleaded with Gus to reconsider, but it was to no avail. Marco was going to have to leave and she knew that he wasn't going to take the news well. She looked at Gus, "Let me tell him. He already resents you and it is just going to set him off worse. I can do this, and we can give him and Crystal some supplies so that they can set up somewhere safe. Please, let me do this." Gus was reluctant to agree, but he felt like Marco would respond better to Ava than anyone else. "Ok, but we need to do this soon. No need in dragging this out. I wish we could fix him, but it just isn't possible. I love him as my son, but he is a danger to us all. Just make sure Daryl and I close by when you tell him. He's likely to lash out in anger and I don't want anything to happen to you." Ava agreed and said she would talk to him in as soon as possible.

Marco might have been a psychopath, but he wasn't stupid. When he saw Ava and Daryl approaching him he knew things were going to be changing quickly. God he hated Daryl Dixon. And he was going to make him pay. He was sure Daryl had turned everyone against him. He tried to remain calm as they approached. He could tell Ava had been crying. He loved his mama more than anything, but surely she didn't believe the lies they were all telling her. It took him about three seconds to realize the game had changed. "Baby, I gotta talk to you." Marco responded as sweetly as possible, he wasn't going to let Dixon know he knew something was up. "What is it mama?" Ava began to sob before she could even get her words out, Daryl tensed and had his hand on his gun in case Marco reacted badly, which was most likely going to happen. "Baby, I love you, you're my son, but you know you have had problems in the past, and we all think it is best if you leave and find somewhere else safe…" She didn't get time to finish. Marco lashed out physically at his mama, Daryl immediately went to pull his gun before Marco could get to Ava, but as he reached for his weapon, he was greeted with a hard blow to his head, immediately stunning him as he tried to stay conscious. Everything was moving in slow motion. Crystal had quietly come up behind him and hit him in the head with some type of heavy object. His world was fading to black but not before he saw Marco pull out a knife and slit Ava's throat. Ava lay dying on the floor in front of him, her blood pooling around her body. Marco looked like a monster. The last thing he heard before he passed out completely was a blood-curdling scream from Anna.

Gus heard the screams. He didn't realize that Ava was going to talk to Marco so soon. He had been down in the basement securing the arsenal. He flew up the stairs into the living room and the sight before him horrified him. Daryl was unconscious on the floor, a good size gash on the back of his head. Ava was dead, lying in a pool of her own blood. He was overcome with grief seeing his beautiful Ava, lifeless on the floor. A sob escaped him as he went to cradle her in his arms one last time. Anna came screaming hysterically from the room, covered in blood; her arms were sliced up from what appeared to be knife wounds. "She's gone, they took my baby, they took my baby…" The sight before her made her stop dead in her tracks. She didn't know how to react first. Daryl moaned slightly, so she ran to help him. He came too and was sickened by the carnage around him. He had failed Ava, and because he had failed Ava he had failed Anna and Gus. He felt himself getting sick, how could he have let his guard down. Weakly he said, "I'm so sorry, but I'm gonna get em." He still didn't know Hunter was missing. Anna spoke to him with anger and determination in her voice. "WE are gonna get em. They got my baby girl."

**Don't forget to review. They really help me decide where to go with this.**


	18. Chapter 18

**This is a slightly longer chapter. I hope you can follow it OK. Please Please Please review. Thank you for everyone who has followed, Favorited, and left reviews and comments. It really means a lot and it is truly encouraging. **

Numb. Everyone was numb from the events that just occurred. No one knew how to react. Daryl was barely coherent. The blow to the head had left him groggy and a bit confused. He struggled, but managed to get himself up. The world was spinning but he fought with everything he had to keep himself upright and lucid. The sight of Gus cradling Ava's body brought back memories of Andrea with Amy back so long ago at the Quarry. Anna was sobbing beside Gus, as she was holding her mother's hand. The sight of the two of them holding the now dead Ava was gut wrenching. All three of them were painfully aware that one more thing needed to happen to prevent Ava from returning from the dead. Daryl struggled to speak both from the overwhelming heartbreak and from the grogginess of his injury, "Y'all want me to take care of her?" Two sets of eyes looked up at him. The look on Gus and Ava's face told Daryl all he needed to know. They both stood up and Anna offered Daryl a steadying hand as he leaned down over Ava's body. Daryl spoke quietly to Ava, he knew he was too late to tell her what he had wanted to say. "You were like a mama to me that I never had. I pledge to you I will find your baby granddaughter, I will take care of Anna and Gus, and will make sure you are avenged." Tears slipped down his face and he kissed Ava on the cheek as he pulled out his knife and slipped it into the back of Ava's head, assuring that she would not return from the dead.

They needed a plan now to find Hunter. Marco and Crystal had taken their vehicle and had left. There was no tracker better than Daryl Dixon was, but he was at a disadvantage now because they weren't traveling through the woods on foot, they were traveling by vehicle and they weren't leaving tracks that could be followed. He was worried about Anna. She had seemed to detach herself from everything emotionally. Her smile was gone and her eyes held an anger like he had never seen from her. He was still fighting the dizziness, but he was focused on finding Hunter and that focus was keeping him going. All three of them barely spoke. They armed themselves for the battle with Marco that they were sure was going to happen. Marco was as good as dead as all of them were concerned. Gus no longer felt anything for the monster that was his son. The bond of blood was broken and Gus wanted nothing more to end Marco's life himself and make him pay for what he had taken away from him. They all loaded up into Gus's SUV. They decided since Daryl was struggling with a head injury that Gus would drive. Daryl sat in the passenger seat so he could get a better vantagepoint of their surroundings and Anna rode in the back.

As they descended down the mountain Daryl was scouring the landscape for any clue of where Marco and Crystal had gone. They hit the main road and Daryl had to make a decision as to whether proceed left or right. He opted for left, towards McGrady. That thought terrified him. If it had just been Marco and Crystal, he wouldn't have given a damn, but they had Hunter and no one had mentioned to Marco that people from McGrady welcomed visitors with a knife and a fork. No one spoke, but everyone was on high alert for both Marco as well as any potential ambushing cannibals. After about fifteen miles Daryl spotted Marco's truck. Fuck, they had stopped in McGrady. Anna began to panic, "No, why would they stop here, don't they know what goes on here. Oh God, my BABY…" She began to jump out of the vehicle, but Daryl turned around and grabbed her. "Look, I know this don't look good, but we gotta keep our head." They pulled the SUV over and Gus parked it so it wasn't visible from the road.

Marco hadn't meant to do it. He loved his mama more than anything in the world. But her mind had been poisoned and he didn't want her to suffer. He was going to make them all pay horribly for what they had done. He knew taking Hunter would hurt Anna like nothing else. He wanted her to feel the loss and emptiness that he had felt all his life. Anna had taken their father from him. All he wanted was for his father to love, accept, and understand him. Everything Marco did, he did to get his father's attention, but no matter how hard he tried, Anna was always number one in Gus's eyes. Ava was the only constant in this life that Marco had, and when she had been manipulated into choosing Anna and Daryl over him, Marco took it upon himself to end Ava's life. He wasn't going to let his mama live a life of lies. Crystal taking out Daryl was an added bonus. He knew Crystal was slipping deeper and deeper into insanity the more she was around the baby. When they were leaving, Crystal refused to leave without Hunter. In her mind, Hunter was hers; Anna was just a vessel that carried her until she was born. Crystal fought and took the baby from Anna by force as they ran out of the house to leave. The chaos and hurt that they left behind was a small victory in Marco's mind. He knew they would follow. Marco wasn't done with his revenge and they were going to pay dearly.

Marco had headed to McGrady. He suspected what had been going on in the community since the world had ended. Folks from McGrady were a clannish group of people, and years of inbreeding had isolated them from the rest of the world. He had actually befriended a few of the families from McGrady. He had served time with a guy named Ricky Liles who had grown up in McGrady and the two had become close friends. Marco knew Ricky had survived and had decided to find him. Ricky would make sure that Marco, Crystal, and Hunter would be safe and accepted. This was Marco's plan. He had headed straight to Ricky's house when they left the mountain, and sure enough, Ricky welcomed Marco.

Marco told Ricky his version of what happened. Ricky knew of Gus and the house on the mountain. He also knew that Gus and Daryl had recently killed six neighbors that had tried to sneak up and take the house. Two of those neighbors were also cousins, and Ricky had no problem at all going along with Marco's plan. Crystal was completely gone from reality. She even had tried to nurse Hunter, obviously without success. Finally Ricky's wife Sheila took pity on the girl and handed her a bottle of baby formula. Sheila showed very little emotion. She looked like life had basically been beaten out of her. Disheveled hair, bad skin, and eyes dead like those who had risen from the dead. She had four small children all under the age of five. They all ran around wild and dirty. The vain of insanity that ran through this area was obvious everywhere. There had always been rumors of people disappearing in McGrady after getting lost. Maybe the Cannibalism started long before the Apocalypse. As strange as the people were, Marco seemed to fit right in with them.

Daryl was still feeling dizzy and nauseous. He pushed it all down and got out of the vehicle. Gus and Anna followed. They needed a plan. They decided that Anna and Daryl would go find Marco and Crystal and Gus would stay behind as a lookout for any external forces that may be a threat. No one had any qualms about killing. The only goal was to retrieve Hunter and bring her back safe and sound. On Daryl's signal, they all proceeded towards the house where Marco's truck was parked. Gus hid himself in the tree line. He hated his son. He had tried for so long to feel something for the boy, but there was a disconnect when it came to a father/son bond. He tolerated the boy for Ava's sake, but Marco made it impossible for him to love his son. Marco was a monster and a threat. Gus now regretted that he hadn't done something years ago to make sure that Marco was someplace safe and away from his family. When Marco was just a child different doctors had suggested that Marco be placed in an institution for the mentally insane. Ava had fought tooth and nail to keep her son with her. Gus made the biggest mistake of his life at that time and let Ava win the fight. Now they were all paying for that mistake. Gus was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of guilt and he prayed it wasn't too late to save his granddaughter.

Daryl and Anna continued on towards the house. Daryl had Anna crouch down out of sight while he eased up to the back of the house. He was able to see inside. He saw Crystal feeding the baby. Relief…the baby was safe. She was sitting in the small kitchen talking to a broken and strange looking woman. Marco was no where to be seen. Could this be that easy? He made his way towards the door, about to storm into the kitchen to retrieve Hunter, but before he burst through, he was grabbed from behind and wrestled to the ground. Marco had been expecting them. Marco roughly pushed Daryl inside the house, and his inbred looking friend had a now kicking and screaming Anna in his hold, dragging her into the house as well. Daryl hoped like Hell Gus had seen what was happening. Anna saw Crystal holding the baby and was overwhelmed with both relief and anger. She immediately started screaming at Crystal to let her hold her daughter. Crystal just laughed and responded, "She's my baby, not yours. You weren't fit to be her mother. If you were, you would have done everything you could to protect her." Anna began screaming a slew of profanities at Crystal that would make a sailor blush. Daryl gave her a look that told her to calm down. Anna took a deep breath and tried to gain her composure.

Anna and Daryl were tied up and thrown down into the basement of the shack that Marco and Crystal were staying at. Daryl had hoped that Gus was just biding his time trying to come up with a plan to rescue them. Hoped being the key word. Crystal had come down to the cellar to give them each some water and a few morsels of food. She also took the time to once again taunt Anna about her ineptness of parenting. Anna bit her lip and didn't respond. She heeded Daryl's advice and remained calm. Pissing off Crystal wasn't going to get them out of the situation they were in. Daryl noticed that Crystal seemed to be looking at him similar to how she did when Her and Marco had first arrived at the house. Could he be imagining it? Was that a look of desire in her eyes? He knew girls liked Crystal liked to have their ego (and other things) stroked. He started to develop a plan that was going to get them out of this mess. And his plan was going to include Crystal.

Crystal left to go back upstairs. Daryl whispered at Anna. "I've got a plan, no matter what I do or say, just know that I love you." Anna nodded, a few tears sliding down her cheek. She took a deep breath and managed a hint of a smile. Daryl felt a little better at least knowing Anna hadn't gone completely dead inside.

About two hours later Crystal came back down. She roughly shoved some water at Anna, managing to "accidentally" kick her in the process. She gently checked Daryl's bindings and gave him a smile. Now was Daryl's chance. "Crystal, how did Marco manage to end up with a woman as beautiful as you?" Crystal's eyes lit up at the compliment Daryl had just given her. She was taking the bait. "He was the only one that I could manage to find who was willing to take me in. I guess I just settled." Daryl responded back. "A fine girl like you deserves a real man. I wish I had found you first. You don't deserve to be living like this, you need to be somewhere that you could be taken well care of." Yep, Crystal was hooked. "Daryl, do you really mean that, what about Anna?" Anna replied quickly, sensing what Daryl's plan now was. Go after the weak link, Crystal, "Yeah, Daryl what about me?" Daryl swallowed hard, but he had a part to play. "Girl, you were just a pity fuck. Won't nothing better around and I needed a warm body to take care of my needs." She knew he wasn't serious, but it still bothered her to hear those words come out of his mouth. Crystal spoke up, "Daryl, we could get out of here together. Take the baby and live a life of our own. I promise you I would make you VERY happy." Daryl looked her directly in the eyes. "Yeah baby, I want that and I want you, a woman like you needs a real man. Make it happen and you will never regret it. I will show you so much pleasure you won't be able to think straight for the rest of your life." He actually laughed inside at that comment. Daryl had no clue how to show a woman pleasure, but Crystal didn't know that, all he was doing was channeling his inner Merle. He mentally thanked Merle for being the crude bastard that he was. This was gonna work. He knew it.

"What about Marco? He ain't gonna let me go and he wants you dead." What Daryl did next went against every fiber of his being. He told Crystal to come to him, and of course she did. "Sit down on my lap baby and untie my hands and I will give you a taste of what is to come. And don't you worry about Marco, I will kill him." Anna felt a pain of jealousy in the way that Daryl was talking to Crystal, he had never once spoke to her that way, but had she not known him better, that would be how she would expect him to talk to women in general. Daryl knew this is what women like Crystal responded too, so he went with it. Crystal came over and straddled Daryl's lap. Anna just turned her head so she didn't have to see it, but Crystal felt the need to taunt her, "Guess what little miss perfect, I got your baby and I got your man, and there ain't a thing you can do about it now." Crystal reached behind Daryl and cut his bindings while she kissed him seductively. He tried to block it out of his mind, he was repulsed by her actions, but this was survival. He reached behind her and pulled her close to him, and as she began to writhe back and forth on his lap he slid his hands up her back and to her neck. He looked away quickly and snapped her neck with his bare hands and she fell to the floor dead in an instant. He completely untied himself from the chair ran over to Anna and cut her bindings with the knife that Crystal had on her. "I ain't kissing you until I rinse out my mouth. I'm sorry you had to see that, but it meant nothing." Anna nodded and was thankful for what he did. She knew he didn't have much experience with women, but damn if he didn't play the part well.

Suddenly they heard him; Marco was at the top of the stairs.

"Crystal, What the fuck is taking you so long?" It took Marco about one second to realize what had happened. He lunged at Daryl and knocked him against the wall, knocking the breath out of him. As a result of the head injury he had sustained earlier in the day, Daryl already was a bit unsteady on his feet. Add to the fact that Marco had at least sixty pounds on him, and Daryl was at a strong disadvantage. Marco began punching Daryl over and over again. His face was full of an uncontrollable rage. Daryl tried to protect himself by putting his arms up over his head, but Marco was relentless. Anna tried to pull Marco off of Daryl, but Marco swung around and slammed his fist into the side of her head. She was stunned and knocked off balance. She was scrambling to grab something to try to hit Marco with, but she suddenly noticed that Crystal had started to rise from the floor. Crystal's once beautiful face had already turned gray and her eyes were opaque. Crystal was making her way directly for the person who was closest, and in this case it was Anna. She scrambled and found the knife Daryl had dropped when Marco had attacked him. She picked it up and plunged it in Crystal's forehead. Sending her to a permanent death.

Daryl was barely conscious as Marco continued to beat him senseless. Anna gathered herself together and went to stab Marco in the head. He moved just as she was about to make contact with the knife. The knife was dropped yet again, and now Marco turned his anger directly to Anna. He reached his hands around her throat and was choking her, she could feel the air leaving her body and she was struggling to breathe. Daryl was completely unresponsive lying in a crumbled mess on the floor. Just as she was sure she was about to die Marco slumped over on top of her. She was struggling so hard to hold on that she didn't hear the gunshot that ended her brothers life. Before she completely blacked out she looked up in time to see Gus standing over his dead son, smoking gun still in his hand. Anna's eyes rolled back in her head and she drifted off into the blackness.


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you FloodFeSTeR for your advice. I hope that the flow of this chapter is a bit easier to read. Thanks for the follows and Favs, and do not hesitate to leave a review or constructive criticism.** **Not a lot of action in this chapter, I've darn near killed Daryl and now we need to get him back healthy. **

**As mentioned before, I do not own the Walking dead or any of its characters...**

**Enjoy!**

Gus had a mess on his hands. When he had entered the house, and he killed Ricky immediately. Sheila begged for her life and the life of her children, so Gus locked them in a room. Hunter was in a makeshift carrier and Gus decided that she would be safe there for a few moments.

After he had found them in the basement, he killed Marco. It was almost a sense of relief. Marco would never be able to hurt them again. But the condition that he found Daryl and Anna in had Gus wondering if he was too late.

Somehow he had to get them out of there. He checked Anna's vitals first. She still was breathing and had a pulse, but he noticed that each breath was raspy and that she had bruising around her chest and neck. There was no doubt that Marco had every intention of killing her. Marco's focus on Anna had probably saved Daryl from death.

Daryl barely looked human. He was covered in blood and facial wounds. His wrist was bent at an awkward angle and Gus surmised that it was probably broken. Unfortunately it was the same arm that had just recently healed up from his burn wounds. Gus feared the arm would never be the same.

Daryl's face had been pummeled. Both eyes were darkly bruised and swollen shut. Blood covered his entire face and down his neck. Daryl was barely breathing and Gus wasn't sure if he would survive. Somehow he was going to have to get both of them and the baby back to the vehicle.

Gus ran and retrieved the SUV. He didn't know how he was going to handle this alone. With the condition that Anna and Daryl were in, he longed for Ava's medical knowledge. He had no idea how he was going to care for both of them and take care of Hunter. Fortunately, in the time that it took him to get the SUV and bring it up to the door of the house, Anna had gained consciousness.

Her throat was killing her and she felt weak. She saw a completely motionless Daryl lying in the corner and dragged herself over to him. Marco and Crystal's dead corpses were pushed to the side. She briefly remembered the gunshot and realized that Gus must of have killed Marco. Her daddy had saved their lives.

She crawled over to Daryl's side, mentally begging for him to show some sign of life. One arm was severely injured and she gently placed her hand to his neck. She felt a pulse, Thank God. It was devastating to see someone as strong as Daryl in this completely incapacitated condition.

She heard the door to the cellar open and Gus entered. Tears sprung to his eyes when he saw that Anna was awake and coherent. He grabbed her gingerly and pulled her into a hug. "Baby girl I thought I lost you too." Anna couldn't help but notice the tears that were sliding down his cheeks. In less than twenty-four hours their family dynamic had been permanently changed.

"Daddy, we gotta get Daryl out of here. He's in bad shape. He has sacrificed so much to protect me… us!" Anna's voice was pleading. She was expressing the panic that Gus was feeling. Getting Daryl out of the basement and to the SUV was going to be difficult. Gus decided he would make some sort of stretcher and try to drag Daryl out of the basement.

Anna had made her way back upstairs to check on Hunter. The baby was sitting quietly in her seat completely unaware of the danger around her. Anna wasn't sure how long it had been since she had last been fed, so she found a bottle of formula and gave it to the little girl. The child immediately began suckling the bottle and Anna was relieved that at least Hunter seemed to be unharmed. She carried Hunter out to the SUV and strapped her in. She needed to go back in and help Gus get Daryl out of the basement and home.

Gus and Anna were able to slide Daryl onto and old sheet of plywood that was down in the basement. His body was dead weight, and it was a struggle for Anna to help lift him and get him to the vehicle, but her Adrenaline was kicking in and the only thing that mattered was to get Daryl to safety. She was disturbed that he still hadn't even stirred.

When they got to the SUV they slid him into the back. Anna rode with him in the back as Gus drove them home. Hunter was safely in the middle seat and Anna was able to focus all of her attention on Daryl. She found a cloth and bottle of water in the back seat and started to wipe the blood off of his face. The bruising on his face was so bad that wiping away the blood actually made him look worse. She could still hear him breathing in short gasps. His nose was obviously broken and that was probably hindering his ability to breathe even more. Anna could only pray that he was strong enough to survive this. Stronger men had died from lesser injuries.

It took them an hour to get back to the house. It had to be the longest hour of Anna's life. Even labor didn't seem as bad as this ride had taken. They managed to get Daryl into the house and into the room. He moaned slightly when then slid him off the board and onto the bed. Anna spoke gently to him, "Daryl, honey I'm here. We are gonna get you fixed up so you can get better real soon. I don't know if you can hear me... but if you can, please know that I want you to never forget that I love you. You gotta fight for me. OK baby."

Daryl could hear her. He didn't know that he had ever hurt as bad as he did right now. His arm was aching horribly and he felt like he had a fifty- pound weight on his chest. He could barely see and he was pretty sure that his cheekbones and nose were broken. He would have attempted to lift himself up, but the pain was agony. He needed to sleep, sleep always made him feel better. This wasn't the first time he had his ass kicked, but he never remembered it hurting this bad afterwards. All he wanted to do was feel better and hold Anna and Hunter in his arms.

Gus and Anna patched Daryl up as best they could. He had been a little responsive but still hadn't spoken. Gus had found some old medical books that Ava had kept from her days in nursing school and the both of them scoured the books to see if they could come up with a suitable treatment for Daryl. Anna knew he was in pain, but felt they shouldn't give him any type of pain meds until he fully awoke. Anna stayed with Gus as long as she could, but Hunter was letting out wails that let her know that the child needed immediate attention.

As Anna was nursing little Hunter her mind drifted to Ava. Ava's body was wrapped up in a tarp awaiting a proper burial. With all that happened they still hadn't had time to grieve. Marco was dead, and Anna was glad, but it still left a bit of emptiness inside of her. She had hoped for years that Marco would get better, and it seemed he was turning the corner when the doctors were able to regulate his medication, but the apocalypse ended all hopes of him being normal. There was no denying that Marco was just a bad seed that would never be fixed. She didn't mourn the loss of Marco, but she mourned the fact that she never had a normal brother.

Daryl was as still as Gus and Anna had ever seen him. Other than his breathing, he didn't move. They weren't even sure if he was sleeping or in some sort of coma. Hunter was asleep in the bassinet and the silence in the room was deafening. Neither Gus nor Anna wanted to admit how scared they were for Daryl's life.

Anna herself was feeling a bit sore. Marco had done a number on her, and she was sure that the bruises on her chest and neck were going to be there for a while. These bruises would be a constant reminder of just how close to death she had came. She had found her mom's diary and looked at the date and realized that Daryl was going to be forty-three in a few days. She prayed like hell that he would make it that long. This waiting was killing her.

Daryl felt like he was in a fog. His head felt like it was floating and his body felt like it was on fire. He slowly began to open his eyes and take in his surroundings. Gus was asleep sitting up in a chair, and Anna was asleep curled up beside him. He moved his hand towards her hand and just that simple movement hurt incredibly, but he wanted to feel her against him. She felt his touch and was aroused from her sleep. Her eyes lit up and tears began pooling in them. She didn't know what to say, but her face showed relief.

"I love you Daryl Dixon." Anna said it and she meant it. Those words to Daryl were better than any type of medication he could have taken. He managed to whisper a reply, "me too Anna. Me too." Just that simple action took every bit of strength that he had left in him and he began to drift off again.

Anna watched him as he began to slip away again into sleep. She had made up her mind that no matter how long it took that she was going to get him back healthy and strong. She needed him, and Hunter needed him. He had sacrificed so much for her and her family, including giving up his own family. She was going to do whatever she could to make sure that he knew just how much she cared for him. Everyday that she had left with him she was going to show him what he meant to her. She never wanted him to doubt himself or the decisions that he had made. This was her silent commitment to him, and when he was healed up and better, she was never going to let him suffer again. Daryl Dixon have never really enjoyed more than just bits and pieces of happiness, but he deserved an abundance of joy and love and she was going to make sure that she, Hunter, and Gus were going to provide him with it.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 is up for you. Hope you enjoy. Not a lot of action in this one, more the emotional toll of dealing with Ava's death. Thanks for all the encouragement and love for the story. **

**XXOO-**

**Missy**

Gus awoke the next morning and began doing the inevitable. For the first time in almost forty years, he slept alone. It was time to put Ava in her final resting-place. He went down in the basement and found a shovel and proceeded outdoors to begin the task. This was by far the hardest thing Gus ever had to do.

As he began digging, all he could do was remember all the experiences that him and Ava had shared over the past forty-plus years. He had met Ava when she was only fourteen and he was seventeen. They used to pass each other each morning on the way to school. Gus attended an all male private school for the academically gifted while Ava attended the local high school. When the high school would have dances they would invite the students from the academy to attend. It was at one of these dances that Gus got up the courage to finally speak to the beautiful girl he passed each morning. After that night, they were together everyday.

They were married as soon as Gus finished college. Ava had gone to nursing school as soon as she graduated and Gus got his first job as a professor at a small college. Anna was born within a year of them getting married and Marco came two years later. As soon as Anna was born Ava quit her job as a nurse and became a stay at home mom. They struggled a bit financially, but had everything they needed. As Gus moved up the ranks as a full professor and finally a department head, they actually became financially well off. He had the house built up on the mountain and they had been here for almost thirty years. So many memories, and so many family struggles. Him and Ava shared them all as a team, and now his teammate was gone. He couldn't deny the hole he had in his heart. He had lost his soul mate.

Anna woke up beside Daryl. He seemed to be resting as comfortably as he could. She eased herself off the bed and went to gather up Hunter. She went out into the main part of the house and sat down to nurse the baby. She noticed how quiet it was and wondered if her father was still asleep. Everything felt so different now, empty. Ava was the glue that held the family together. Ava had always provided Anna support, words of wisdom, and so much love. Whenever Anna would have a fight with John, she would call Ava, and Ava would always reassure her that their fight was normal. Usually the conversation would end with her mom telling her something stupid that Gus had done at one point during their marriage. Anna was going to miss her mother.

Anna wanted to let Daryl sleep, so she opted to put hunter in a little play- pen they had picked up at the Wal-Mart raid weeks ago. It really did seem like a lifetime ago now. She went to her father's room to see if he was still asleep, but she found the room empty. She continued to look for Gus, slightly worried, and finally saw him digging in the back yard. It was at that moment that the reality of all that had happened hit Anna full force. Ava was gone and it was time to say good-bye.

Anna picked up Hunter and went outside. She noticed that the temperatures were getting much colder. It was almost December and to be honest they could get snow at anytime this late in the year. Her father looked empty as he continued to dig Ava's grave. He had chosen a spot that had an absolutely majestic view of the valley. They would often sit out there in the early mornings and watch the sunrise as they drank coffee. It was perfect for Ava's final resting-place.

Anna spoke quietly to Gus, "Daddy, this is a perfect place for her. Even though she has left us physically, she will always be with us. No one can take her from us again. Her legacy will live on through Hunter and I will make sure everyday that Hunter knows what an incredible woman her grandmother was."

Gus could no longer control his tears; he broke down and began sobbing. Anna embraced him and all three collapsed to the ground hugging each other tightly. They now had to be each other's strength.

Daryl awoke by himself. He felt like a train had hit him. Every muscle in his body hurt and he could barely move. He was incredibly thirsty and reached for a bottle of water that was sitting on the nightstand beside the bed. He drank greedily and drained the bottle quickly. The house was quiet and it concerned him. He slowly and painfully moved and put his feet on the floor and then attempted to get up. He was unsteady on his feet, but somehow managed to stand.

He proceeded slowly through the house and realized it was empty. He went to the back window and saw Anna, Gus, and the baby on the ground embracing each other. Gus had dug a grave and Daryl assumed that the emotions of the events of yesterday had finally hit them full force. He painstakingly made his way to the back door and proceeded outdoors. He had to be there for them. He had to be there for his family.

Gus spoke first, "Son, you need to be in bed. You look like shit and are in no condition to be out here. You can barely stand."

Daryl snapped back, "I'm fine, don't need you worrying about me. Ava was like a mama to me and I want to pay my respects. I can go to bed later, but I ain't gonna let y'all go through this alone."

Anna noticed that he was swaying on his feet. She went to his side and gingerly wrapped her arm around him helping him stay upright. He looked at her and gave her and Hunter a quick kiss. He hated feeling weak and helpless, but he needed to be here. He needed to say goodbye to Ava and he needed to show them all how much they meant to him. Daryl Dixon was a stubborn son of a bitch and there was no way that he wasn't going to be part of this.

They finally put Ava's body in the grave. It was a very somber experience and weighed heavily on each of them. None of them could control the tears that escaped their eyes. Even Daryl was shedding tears for Ava. He was overwhelmed with the loss of a woman who had showed him unconditional love and comfort, and also for the pain that he knew Gus and Anna were feeling. Ava was a truly remarkable woman and he loved her after knowing her for only a short period of time. The world needed more women like Ava. She was truly a gift and he was glad that she had come into his life.

After the memorial for Ava, Gus and Anna helped Daryl back into the house. He was as weak as a kitten and the energy that he had spent just getting out to the backyard had taken a toll on him. His eyes were still barely wider than slits and his face was a patchwork quilt of purples, blues, reds, and even black. Marco had done a number on him. Daryl didn't even attempt to hide the fact that he was in excruciating pain.

They managed to get him back to the room and lay him down. The worse thing now was that Daryl was fully awake and could feel every injury he had suffered. Gus had managed to set Daryl's broken wrist in a makeshift splint, but there was a pretty good chance that the arm wasn't going to heal proper. Anna had read in one of the medical books that the arm was most likely going to need to be re-broken and re-set so that it could heal correctly. The worse thing was that they were going to have to do it very soon, and without anything to put Daryl under with. She opted not to mention it until it was time to perform the procedure.

Daryl asked to have Hunter up on the bed with him. The little girl offered him an immense amount of comfort. Anna gently laid the baby by Daryl's side. She didn't think that he needed the added weight on his chest. As much pain, as she knew he was in, she couldn't help but notice the smile on his face when the little girl took a hold of his finger. That vision gave Anna butterflies in her stomach. Daryl was truly a remarkable man.

Anna went into the kitchen and started to cook. She had decided to make a pot of deer chili. She went and pulled some meat from the freezer down in the basement. She could kiss her daddy for his brilliance in being able to supply them with electricity and food. Winter would be here shortly and Gus would need to go on a few hunts to supply them with meat for the winter. She knew Daryl would want to go along, but wasn't sure when and if he would be able to do so. She prayed he could recover quickly. She was going to do everything she could to make sure that he did.

While dinner was cooking she went and found Gus. "Daddy, we have to re-set Daryl's arm. It isn't going to heal right if we don't. We have to make sure we don't cripple his arms. He will struggle shooting that crossbow if we don't do it right. I read and re-read mama's medical books last night and early this morning, and I am almost certain we can do it. I know we don't have anything we can knock him out with, but maybe if I dose him up good with some pain medication it will take enough of the edge off so it will be a tolerable procedure."

Gus looked apprehensive and then replied, "Have you told him about this and discussed it with him?"

Anna shook her head, "No, I didn't want him to worry. But I will. I will tell him as soon as I take him his dinner."

Gus simply nodded. "I trust you will use good judgement. If you think this will work, than we will do it."

Anna went back into the kitchen and finished up dinner. She even made some cornbread to go along with the dinner. It was probably a mistake to feed Daryl before his impending medical procedure, but she knew he hadn't ate anything in twenty four hours and he had to be starving.

When she went to take him dinner he was asleep with Hunter on his chest. He must have picked her up and put her there while she was talking to her dad. She kissed him on the forehead and his eyes opened and he looked at her.

"Hey sweetie. I've got some dinner here for you. I want to talk to you about something that I have been avoiding telling you."

Daryl's stomach flipped at those words. Was she having second thoughts about having a relationship with him? She could tell by the look on his face that he was nervous.

"No, No, No…. Nothing like you are thinking. It's about your wrist. We didn't set it properly last night in our hastiness to get you patched up, but I think we are going to have re-break it and re-set it so that it will heal properly. It's gonna hurt like a bitch, but I want you to let me know if you want me to go ahead with it. It's totally your call."

Daryl actually was relieved. He knew it would be agonizing but he also new he needed full usability of his wrist to be able too properly hunt and handle his weapon. He looked at Anna and nodded. "Do it, don't worry about the pain. If you know what you are doing, then it will be worth it."

Anna smiled weakly. "Ok, well eat your dinner, and when you are done I will dose you up with some pain meds, and then Daddy and I will take care of it." She was dreading the amount of pain they were going to cause him, but felt confident that they could get his wrist back to nearly one-hundred percent.

**Please don't forget to review. I am trying to decide if I should bring the Prison group back into this story. Let me know what you think!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Enjoy peeps...Review Review Review! And let me know if you want to bring the prison gang back into the story or not. **

**As usual, I don't own the Walking dead or it's characters, but I wish I did!**

**XXOO-**

**Missy**

Anna took the baby and laid her down in Gus's room. She had been well fed and was sleeping soundly. She then went through the bag of medical supplies her mother had and found some pretty heavy duty pain- killers. These were going to have to work.

She found Gus and told him to meet her in her and Daryl's bedroom in about an hour. That would give the pain pills ample time to kick in. She asked if her could keep an eye on Hunter for a bit so that she could have some alone time with Daryl. He was more than happy to oblige.

Daryl had finished his dinner and was resting when she entered into the room. She quickly grabbed his dishes and took them to the kitchen making a note that she would clean them after they were done with the medical procedure.

She entered back into the room and sat down beside Daryl. "You ready for this?"

He laughed, "Trust me, I've been through worse. Too bad you can't dress up in a naughty nurse outfit." The both laughed at his comment. He was only half joking.

"Well I had a thought. After we are done there is a Jacuzzi tub in Dad's bathroom. I could fix you a nice hot bath and let you soak. It might help with a lot of the muscle aches and pains you have. I can go in there with you or I can let you have your privacy, your choice."

Daryl now suddenly found himself extremely nervous. Getting your wrist re-broken, that was a piece of cake. He had been used to pain for the most part of his life, but her actually bathing him while he was naked, that was an overwhelming thought. He thought he should just tell her that he would skip the bath, but it did sound enticing. The look on his face must have given him away.

"Honey, I didn't mean to put you on the spot. I'm sorry. I know this all new to you, and I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. When the time is ready, you let me know OK. I will prepare the bath for you and give you your privacy, I will sit outside the door and if you need me, you just holler, got it?"

She was so perfect and so perceptive. Hunter was never going to be able to get away with anything with Anna as her mama. Anna read people well. Daryl was thankful that she made the decision for him. In his mind he knew he was like a naïve little kid, and more than anything he wanted to get over that fear, Anna deserved it, but he was just too chicken shit to go through with it right now. He hoped like hell that she would blame his injuries.

"And Daryl, just so you know, I told you before, I can't have…um…. Relations for at least another month or so. Don't get me wrong, I'm not counting down the days so I can jump your bones, I just don't want you to think I am trying to push you into sex. Got it?" He nodded again.

"Yeah, I got it. Wish I were better at this stuff. Guess I'm like a twelve-year-old kid when it comes to sex. Its not that I don't want it, 'cause trust me I do, it's that I don't want to disappoint you. I've spent a life disappointing people and for once I want to get something right."

"You listen to me. I don't want you to even begin to think about disappointment. I was married to a man for twenty years, and do you think that sex was incredible every time? The worse thing you can do is make yourself dread it. We will work on it together, because the last time I checked it normally takes two people to participate in the act. Right now the only thing you need to focus on is getting better and getting your strength back. I doubt Hunter's feeding schedule would afford us much time for proper love making anyway. We are gonna have to get Grandpa Gus to baby-sit for us."

She always knew what to say to make him feel better. "Well hopefully he won't charge too much." The both laughed heavily. They were both so comfortable with each other that what could have been an awkward conversation actually turned into a good conversation. He was feeling much better about himself, Almost Giddy.

"Come here" Daryl said to Anna. She moved closer to him and he gently took her face into his one good hand and kissed her gently and deeply. Suddenly all the pain he had been feeling melted away. She was the cure for every bad thing he had experienced in his life. Being with Anna made it all seem to go away. This new feeling of love he was experiencing was addictive, and he never wanted this addiction to be cured.

Anna could tell that the painkillers were kicking in. Daryl's motions were slowing and he looked like he was fighting to keep his eyes open. The moment she had been dreading all afternoon was now here. Sure enough Gus showed up ready to go into battle.

The actual procedure was pretty brutal, but Daryl took it like a man. He barely groaned. The color in his face drained and he began sweating when the bone was pulled apart again, but he held still and tolerated the break better than expected. Anna followed the procedures for re-setting the bone and felt confident she had done it right. Since they didn't have proper casting materials, they made a make shift splint that would keep the wrist from moving. It wasn't going to be comfortable, but all things considered it was going to work pretty well.

Daryl basically dozed off when they were done. She had given him a strong dose of the pain meds and suspected that would happen. She decided he could take a bath in the morning when he would be much more alert.

She spent the rest of the evening cleaning the kitchen, talking with Gus and taking care of Hunter. She and Gus talked about the good times that they had spent with Ava and all of the things they were going to miss. It comforted them both to be able to talk about her so freely. They both avoided the subject of Marco, and if they never spoke of him again, it would be too soon.

Finally, exhausted after all the activities of the day, she decided to turn in for the night. She nursed Hunter one last time and then laid her gently in the bassinet. Hunter held onto the little bunny that Daryl had picked up for her. It was perfect and it seemed to soothe the baby. Anna pulled off her clothes and let them drop in a pile on the floor. Normally she would have gone in the bathroom and changed, but Daryl was sound asleep, so she simply changed in the room and slipped in the bed beside him. Even with all the bruises, she thought he was one of the most beautiful creatures she had ever seen. Yeah, she had it bad for him.

Gus had decided to do an inventory of supplies before he headed off for bed. Winter was coming quick and they had to be prepared. Sometimes the winters were mild, but other times they could end up with a couple feet of snow. It just depended on whether or not fronts came from over the mountains or if they came from the gulf. He kept meticulous records of everything on hand and was going over them to determine how long everything would last. Since he couldn't rely on solar power if they were covered in layers of snow, they would need to rely on propane for electricity. According to his figures they were low and would need more. That meant they were going to have to do a run. Finding the propane wasn't the challenge, procuring it and bringing it back safely was the issue. He would discuss it with Daryl and Anna in the morning.

Daryl woke first the next morning. Anna was asleep and Hunter was beginning to fuss in her crib. He knew that Anna had kept a few extra bottles of milk in the fridge so he decided he would let her sleep and feed the baby. Getting up was no easy task. He still hurt quite a bit, and his left arm was now pretty much immobile because of the splint. He was just going to have to learn how to get around with one arm for a while. He now sort of knew what Merle had gone through.

He moved very slowly, but he was up. He got the bottle of milk and warmed it up on the stove. He brought it back to the room and carefully picked up Hunter with his good arm. She was such a beautiful little girl. He couldn't have loved her anymore if she was his own biologically. She began drinking the formula and he spoke to her softly. It brought back memories of Judith. He wondered how they were all doing at the prison. He had been gone well over a month now, but he couldn't think about that. His life was here now.

Anna woke up after Daryl had finished feeding the baby and he even managed to change her. She was impressed at how quickly he was adapting to using just one arm. If he could keep it up, he would heal up quickly.

"So good morning Mr. Mom." She said to him.

"Morning beautiful. I get to see both my pretty girls this morning." He smiled at her as he gently put Hunter back down in the bassinet.

"I think someone is owed a good soak in the tub. You were out last night after we finished with your wrist, so I decided to let you sleep, but I think you will feel much better if you let the hot water and the Jacuzzi jets work over your body."

"Just say when, I'm actually kinda excited about it. Been a while since I had a good bath anyway. I sorta got used to quick cold showers or sponge baths over the past year or so." He said.

"Yeah, I figured that out. Let's go get that bath while Hunter is napping."

They went across the house to Gus's room. He was up puttering around. Anna told him that Daryl was going to use the tub and he agreed that it would probably help loosen up his muscles and help ease some of the muscle trauma he had suffered. She went in and poured the bath and set the jets for Daryl. She pulled out some clean towels and even a nice fluffy robe that Gus had but never used. She told him that she would get him some clean clothes while he bathed. She then shut the door to give him privacy.

He pulled off his clothes and let them drop into a pile on the floor. He knew his clothes were in rough shape and made a mental note that they all were probably going to need some new clothes. Especially with winter just around the corner. He eased himself into the deep tub, making sure to keep his arm elevated on the side of the tub.

The warmth of the water and the pressure from the jets was ecstasy. He couldn't remember the last time anything felt this good. Only one thing would feel better, and he still hadn't mustered up the courage for that yet. But he couldn't stop thinking about it. There was a basket of all types of soaps and sponges on the side of the tub, so he chose the soap that smelled the least like a girl and scrubbed. He then washed his hair twice; being sure to get rid of all the dirt and grime that had accumulated over the past few months. He had just been taking sponge baths for so long that he doubted he would ever get clean.

After he was sure he was squeaky clean, he let himself soak for a bit. It felt amazing, and it really did seem to be relieving a lot of the pain and soreness he had been suffering. His wrist still ached, but he had faith that Anna knew what she was doing when she reset it last night. Maybe things were finally starting to look up.

He finally turned off the jets and let the water out of the tub. He felt amazingly refreshed. He toweled off and slipped on the robe. If Merle could see him now he would get a kick out of the sight. Daryl looked and smelled like he was staying in a Four Seasons hotel or something. He decided he would shave and trim up his scruff. He found a new razor and figured Gus wouldn't mind.

When he was finished he looked at himself closely in the mirror. He really was starting to show his age. His eyes were still muddled with colors from his beating from Marco, but he could also see he was developing lines and wrinkles on his face. He guessed all those years of smoking and scowling were finally catching up with him. It really didn't matter though, Anna was in love with him and that was all that really mattered. He didn't care if he looked like a mutant if it meant Anna would be there with him. She was his everything, and he wanted nothing more that to be her everything too. He hoped he wasn't being selfish thinking like that, but it was how he truly felt.

Anna brought him some fresh clothes and he changed into them. He even went so far as to spray on a little bit of cologne he found in the bathroom. He was as proud as a peacock for a few moments. When he walked out of the bathroom, Anna's mouth dropped.

"Oh My God you look and smell amazing." She couldn't help it, and she ran over to him and kissed him intensely. She was careful not to put any type of physical pressure on him because of his healing wounds, but if he had been physically able, she would have jumped up on him and wrapped her legs around him.

"If I knew I was gonna get that kind of reaction I would have bathed sooner." He mused.

They both laughed and he she took his dirty clothes from his hand as they walked out into the main part of the house.

Gus smiled at them and laughed when he got a whiff of the cologne that Daryl had on. He recognized it as his bottle of Classic Kiehl's musk. Ah yes, the ladies loved it. It was one of Ava's favorites.

"Hey kids, I need to talk to you both if you have some time and if Daryl is feeling up to it." Gus pulled up a chair at the kitchen table and both Anna and Daryl sat down.

Gus proceeded to tell them that they were going to need to go on a supply run in the next few weeks. He explained that they were getting low on propane and that the solar panels weren't very effective in the wintertime, especially if they had heavy snow.

Daryl spoke first, "Give me a few days to heal a bit more, and then we can go."

Anna and Gus both shook their heads. "No," Gus said, " you need at least two weeks to heal up. We will go then. In the mean time we will only use the solar panels and hope for the best. There is a weeks worth of propane at best, and we will only use it if we have too."

Anna added, "We can use the fireplace if it gets too cold, and shut off the rest of the house. If we have to camp in the main room, we will do it. I am not going to risk Daryl getting re-injured by rushing into this. By the way, where do we go to get propane?"

Gus sighed deeply, "McGrady."


	22. Chapter 22

McGrady. Damn, they couldn't get away from that place. And after what happened with Ricky Liles, they were going to be in even more danger. Those folks would be out for revenge. The worse thing about it was there was only one way in and out, and there was no way that they could make it to the propane distributor without going through McGrady. This was going to be a problem.

"Daddy, Is there somewhere else we could go? Even if we had to drive all the way to Sparta or something."

Gus replied, "The other closest distributor is in Jefferson, and that is seventy miles from here."

Daryl thought for a moment. "You got any local maps? I wanna take a look at the area and see if we can come up with a better plan. We need to avoid that fucking place. Gus, you and me can't take them all on."

"I believe I do have some local maps. Keep in mind that the terrain around here makes it difficult to get anywhere in a straight line."

Daryl exhaled, "Yeah, reckon that's the downside of living in a mountain fortress."

They all talked a bit more about going on a run and convinced Daryl to wait two weeks. He would still be in a splint, but the rest of his injuries should be healed up by then. Anna could tell that Daryl was struggling with being incapacitated, but she also knew that he realized he wouldn't be much help if he didn't allow himself time to mend.

Gus asked if he could spend some time with Hunter. He wanted to take her outside for a walk and he wanted to visit Ava's grave. Anna made a makeshift baby sling that would allow them to strap her to their chest so that they could still function while keeping Hunter with them. The little girl seemed to love being snuggled up against her family members. There was no doubt that little Hunter was going to feel loved by those that surrounded her.

Anna went in to check on Daryl. He had taken some pain medicine earlier, and as she suspected, he was asleep. She actually was a bit relieved. He had a knack for not being able to sit still, but she was glad he seemed to be taking his recovery somewhat serious. She now found herself with some alone time. After she straightened up the house a bit and made some bottles for Hunter, she needed a bit of distraction.

Daryl's birthday would be in two days. In a normal world she would go to a sports supply store and buy him a new toy he could play with. These days, you didn't play with weapons, you used them to survive. She decided to rummage around in the attic and see if she could find anything that she could use to create a gift for him. She knew he wouldn't want anything, but she wanted to give him something anyway.

She hit the jackpot. She found an old piece of leather and she found a box of crossbow bolts. Apparently at one point and time Marco had a crossbow. She couldn't imagine that they had been foolish enough to buy one for him, but then again he was a teenager who liked to hunt at one time. Marco always wanted the latest and greatest of everything, yet he probably ended up trading the crossbow for drugs at some point and time. That was just how Marco was.

After locating a few other supplies Anna had come up with a great gift idea for Daryl that she hoped he would love. It was a perfect idea. She had time to get working on it, and if she focused on the task she could have it completed by tomorrow. She just hoped that Daryl would not miss her presence while she was secretly working on his gift.

Daryl was starting to feel much better. He had been sleeping a lot thanks to the pain meds, but after his deep soak in the tub and just taking it easy in general, he felt like he was turning the corner on his recovery. His wrist was going to take a bit of time to heal up, but once it was back to where he could use it, he would be ready to go just like before. One thing that nagged Daryl in the back of his mind was that at his age, he didn't seem to bounce back from things like he did a few years back. He was still in incredible physical shape, but injuries healed slower, hangovers lasted longer, and more things hurt in the morning when he got up.

Two days had passed quickly and Anna had put a lot of thought into Daryl's birthday. She was sure that he never had any elaborate celebrations in the past, but she wanted to make this birthday special. She had spoken to Gus about having a surprise celebration for Daryl. Gus's job was to take Daryl out on the Gator to check the security of the property. Now she knew that the property was more secure than Fort Knox, but it would allow Daryl to get some fresh air, and allow her to prepare a proper birthday meal for him.

Anna-Maria Bettatucci knew how to cook real proper Italian food, but Daryl didn't seem like the type that would like anything exotic, though she was sure he would eat squirrel every day of the week if he could. She opted to make manicotti with ground venison and some goat cheese that her mother had frozen. She even rolled out and made the pasta herself. It had been a while since Anna had cooked like this, but it felt good to focus on something other than surviving. She then decided to make a strawberry cake with a whipped frosting for Daryl's birthday cake. She found a few birthday candles and put one on the cake for him to blow out.

Gus and Daryl had been gone about two hours exploring every inch of the property. She still had just enough time to bathe and feed her little girl and get her down for a nap. Grandpa Gus was going to keep Hunter in his room that night so she could have some privacy with Daryl. She just hoped that Gus wasn't wearing him down right now.

Daryl and Gus finally made it back in the house. Daryl had a huge smile on his face and figured her father must have showed him a good time. Gus spoke, "Well, the property is secure and Daryl even has a few more ideas on what we could do to fortify some of the weaker spots."

"Well that's great boys, I hope you are hungry." She led them into the kitchen and had the table set elaborately using Ava's good china and Anna had all the food laid out perfectly. It looked like Martha Stewart herself had been here for a visit.

Daryl couldn't help the bright smile that crossed his face. He had never had anyone make a fuss over his birthday. This was amazing and such a caring act. He felt tears welling up in his eyes as he was overcome with emotion. Anna had taken his hand and led him to the table. She could tell how emotional he was when he was unable to speak.

"Birthday boy gets to sit at the head of the table." She said as she pulled out the chair for him to sit down. She then sat to his right, and Gus sat to his left. They passed around the food and filled up their plates amply. Anna had even managed to surprise everyone with a loaf of homemade bread she made. Fortunately the yeast was still active and she was able to get the dough to rise. The entire meal was made from scratch and Daryl didn't think he had ever eaten anything that tasted so amazing.

They laughed and joked all through the meal. Daryl even opened up and told a few stories about some things him and Merle had gotten into on some hunting adventures when they were young. Apparently Merle was almost ten years older than Daryl was, so he was able to manipulate his little brother into doing almost anything. She could tell that even though there was trouble in the family that Daryl did truly love his brother. She even envied him a bit for that since all her brother wanted to do was hurt and destroy her.

After they finished the main course, Anna then served the cake. Her and Gus sang "Happy Birthday" to Daryl and he blushed as he blew out his candle, but took it well. Gus was probably the worse singer still existing on the planet. Anna got up and walked over to the piano. She cleared her throat and then looked at Daryl.

"Baby, you mean the world to me, and I am dedicating this song to you. It has always been a favorite of mine, and I want you to listen to the lyrics and know that I mean them, and every word is meant for you." She then began to play the piano and sing "I cross my heart" by George Straight. It was an older song, but it had perfect meaning for how she felt.

_**Our love is unconditional  
We knew it from the start  
I see it in your eyes  
You can feel it from my heart**_

_**From here on after  
Let's stay the way we are right now  
And share all the love and laughter  
That a lifetime will allow**_

_**I cross my heart  
And promise to  
Give all I've got to give  
To make all your dreams come true  
In all the world  
You'll never find  
A love as true as mine**_

_**You will always be the miracle  
That makes my life complete  
And as long as there's still breath in me  
I'll make yours just as sweet**_

_**As we look into the future  
It's as far as we can see  
So let's make each tomorrow  
Be the best that it can be**_

_**I cross my heart  
And promise to  
Give all I've got to give  
To make all your dreams come true  
In all the world  
You'll never find  
A love as true as mine**_

_**And if along the way we find a day  
It starts to storm  
You've got the promise of my love  
To keep you warm**_

_**In all the world  
You'll never find  
A love as true as mine  
A love as true as mine**_

Daryl didn't think he had ever heard anything so beautiful. He didn't even try to hide the tears that were streaming down his cheeks. He had truly been overcome with emotion and this time it wasn't anger or sadness, it was pure bliss. He got up from the table and ran over to her and wrapped his one good arm around her tightly and began kissing her.

"Um, Guys, I'm still here" Gus said. They both started laughing.

"Sorry Gus, guess you want a kiss too…"Daryl joked. They all laughed hysterically and sat back down at the table. They finished up the cake and Anna had even made some coffee to serve with desert. Daryl didn't think he could have had a more perfect birthday.

"Oh Daryl, I almost forgot, we got you presents too!" She said.

"You didn't need to do that, you two have already got me plenty. Just your company and love is enough for me. You already got me going soft." Daryl said.

But sure enough, Anna came back to the table with some wrapped gifts. Gus gave him the first present. It was a hand carved ivory handled knife that had been Gus's Grandfather's. In the Old World it would have been worth well over a thousand dollars. The detail on the carving was phenomenal, and Gus kept the knife in immaculate shape. Daryl couldn't stop thanking Gus over and over for the gift. It was beautiful and something Daryl could have only dreamed of owning.

It was then time for Anna to give her present to Daryl. "Look, I made this myself, so if you don't like it, just let me know." He just looked at her like she was crazy.

"I already know I will like it knowing you made if yourself." He said.

She handed him the wrapped package. He opened it up and found she had made him a hand-stitched leather quiver full of about twenty bolts. The detail was incredible and the stitching was extremely intricate. He then noticed that she had embroidered something on the side. One side had his name stitched perfectly and the other side had the words "The love of family makes life beautiful" stitched in perfect script. He was completely speechless. His lack of words had Anna worried that he didn't like it.

"Daryl, I can get you something else if you don't like it…" She went to reach for it and he pulled it away.

"How could you think I wouldn't like this. I can't believe you could make something as perfect as this. The good Lord above couldn't have made anything this amazing. I will never let it leave my side, ever. This has been the best day of my life. I can't thank the two of you enough for this, for everything…" He said.

They moved into the living room to spend the rest of the evening together as a family. Anna had retrieved the baby and Daryl asked if he could feed her. Anna would never get tired of the sight of him cradling little Hunter as he doted on her like a little doll. Even though it was Daryl's celebration, she was overjoyed with the happiness they were all sharing. After a week that had started off so horribly, they all had fed on the strength that each one offered the other, and seemed to be able to make a new beginning.

As the evening wore on, Gus took Hunter and announced he was going to retire for the evening. Daryl shook his hand and gave him a "man-hug" as Gus got up to head for his room. Gus was like the Dad that Daryl never had, and Daryl was like the son that Gus had always dreamed of having. The bond between the two men was strong and it had nothing but a positive effect on the both of them.

Daryl stood up pulling Anna with him towards their room. "Time for bed sweetheart" he whispered. She looked up at him and replied,

"It's time to go to the room, but it isn't time to sleep just yet…" She gave him a quick wink and he smiled a devilish grin at her. Tonight Daryl Dixon was going to get some extra special lessons in a subject he had been avoiding, and Anna was going to be the teacher.

***** I cross my heart is written and recorded by George Strait*****

**The next chapter is going into a bit of a mature subject. Not super graphic, but a bit of "sexy time" for Daryl. **

**I do not own the walking dead or Daryl Dixon...unfortunately.**

**Please Please Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I am also open to any suggestions. I have already received a few good hints on improving my techniques. Love you guys-Mean it!**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


	23. Chapter 23

**WARNING-EXPLICIT CHAPTER**

Anna had made up her mind that Daryl Dixon was going to enjoy this birthday in more ways than he imagined. Though they actually would not be able to have intercourse, she was going to show him pleasure like he had never experienced. She gently led him into the room and shut the door. She lit a few candles and then sat him down on the edge of the bed.

Daryl's eyes were huge as saucers, as the anticipation was getting the best of him. He knew there was no chance of him backing out of this, Hell he didn't want to back out. Anna sat beside him and softly began kissing him. The first thing she needed to do was get him to relax. His mouth was firm and strong. For someone who didn't have much experience with women, his kisses made her go weak in the knees.

The continued to make-out for a while and both of them were getting more and more passionate with their movements. Eventually Anna had leaned Daryl back against the pillows and was straddling him. She slowly started to unbutton his shirt. He reached his hands up to stop her, but she just shook her head "no" and he let her continue. She then replied, "I've seen the scars, and I don't care." Anna continued to kiss him deeply, and he felt himself getting dizzy. She whispered in his ear, "I love you, and I want you to trust me."

She began kissing him down the side of his neck, then slowly working her way to his chest. She gently kissed each of his nipples and licked them softly with her tongue. Daryl let out a moan that let her know he was enjoying it. She could feel that he was aroused as her hips rocked against him. She herself was more than just a little turned on, but tonight wasn't about her, it was about him.

She began to savor each and every part of his upper body, then his shoulders, and his chest, then his stomach and she eventually worked her way down kissing his belly button. Daryl felt like he was about to explode. His stomach was on fire with desire and he prayed that he could keep his wits about him. He knew Anna wouldn't judge him, but this felt so damn good that he wanted it to last for a little bit.

He slowly reached up to pull her shirt off, and she let it slide over her head and onto the floor. He leaned up into her and he began reciprocating her actions. He began to kiss her body savoring the taste of her skin. She felt like liquid silk to him and tasted just as sweet as anything he had ever tasted. He couldn't believe how natural this felt. He regretted he hadn't done this in his past forty-three years, but then again, if he had it wouldn't have been as fulfilling because he wouldn't have been with Anna.

As good as it felt to Anna, she refused to let Daryl take over. This was about him and his pleasure, not hers. She pushed him back again against the pillows, and when he tried to get back up, she pushed him back again. She waved her finger at him and said, "Tonight, I'm in charge. I am the teacher, you are the pupil." The low growl in her voice when she said it just turned Daryl on that much more.

As she kissed her way down his stomach again, she began placing little nibbles along his happy trail. She noticed he had his eyes closed and a look of desire on his face. She began to slide off his belt and ever so gently tugged down his pants and then threw them in the corner. He was now lying there in his boxers. If he was feeling uncomfortable, then he was doing a good job of hiding it.

She tenderly now slid her tongue just below the waste line of his under garments and Daryl was nearly whimpering. He wasn't fighting any of her movements, so then she pulled his boxers off and tossed them in the corner with the rest of his clothes. He was lying there completely exposed to her and still continued to let her have her way with him.

She moved down on him so that she could lick his hipbones and his upper thighs. As she was doing so, she was lightly dragging her hands across his lower stomach and down the sides of his legs. Daryl felt like every nerve ending he had was about to explode in pleasure.

Daryl had compared himself to a twelve-year old boy to her at one time, but he was definitely not a twelve-year-old boy. Daryl Dixon was all man and she was going to prove that to him tonight. She still had not directly caressed his manhood, and she could see that his desires were growing strongly. As she kissed him just above his member, he bucked his hips upwards, begging for her to touch him in a completely intimate manner. His hand reached for the back of her head and he slowly began rubbing her neck and running his hands through her hair. She knew what he was encouraging her to do, and she had no desire at all to let him down.

When she was sure that he was absolutely ready, she slid her mouth just over the tip of his fully aroused manhood. Daryl let out a gasp of erotic pleasure. He had never felt anything that was quite this amazing. Her lips were soft and her tongue was warm and she began to slide her tongue around his head in a circular motion. His breathing began to quicken as she lapped around his shaft at a slightly quicker pace.

She finally took him in her hand and slid him deep down into her throat. Daryl thought he might actually die of pleasure at that exact moment. She began moving her mouth up and down over him and he was doing everything he could to keep himself from going over the edge. Just when he didn't think he could take anymore, she gently took her hand and began to massage his testicles. That was it, he had hit the edge of the cliff and had fallen into the abyss. He felt the warmth release from deep within himself and there was nothing he could do about it. His legs began to shake and he cried out like a feral animal. This was it, and nothing could ever feel any better than he felt at this moment.

Anna bobbed up from his lap and smiled at him. "Happy Birthday Daryl" She whispered. Yes, it was definitely a happy birthday. He could barely move or speak, but Anna could tell that she had taught him his first lesson well. He was a very capable student and she couldn't wait to teach him again.

**A/N: To the individual that left an anonymous review and said that they could no longer read this story because they thought Daryl was too emotional...If you have watched the series he has changed dramatically from the angry man he was in season one. He has developed fully caring and functional relationships with many of the characters and has softened considerably. I am trying to still keep Daryl in character, but as a person who has matured and has learned to interact on a somewhat normal basis with other human beings. He isn't cold hearted, he is actually very passionate and in prior seasons, that passion had always expressed itself as anger...now he can express himself verbally and has proven he does care. Anyhow, Just my opinion and I am sorry that this story has traumatized you to the point you feel like you can't read it. I would address you personally, but the review was left as anonymous. I'm not offended, I just want to explain my thought process.**

**Missy**


	24. Chapter 24

**And here you go...chapter 24. Not a lot of action, just a set up for the adventure in the next chapter. **

Daryl awoke with a smile on his face. He had Anna wrapped in his good arm and was still lying naked under the sheets. He, Daryl Dixon had finally had a sexual experience, and it was unbelievable. He pulled Anna even closer to him and she stirred slowly as her eyes began to open.

"Good morning sweetie. Whatcha smiling about?" She said to him.

"I think you know why I'm smiling. Last night was incredible, ya think we can do it again sometime?"

"No" She deadpanned.

His heart sank until he noticed she was giggling. She then said, "Absolutely, we can do that anytime you want. And in a couple of weeks, I'm really gonna show you something." She laughed.

He couldn't help but grin even wider than he already was. "You trying to kill me or something?"

"Well if you gotta die, I am sure there are worse ways to go…"

Anna dragged herself out of bed and Daryl got up and headed to the shower. She noticed that the house was considerably cooler than it normally was. She then remembered that Gus was rationing the propane. She went into the kitchen and began to prepare breakfast for everyone. Her father was sitting at the table feeding Hunter and she went over to start a pot of coffee.

"Daddy, we probably should get a fire started, it's cold in here. I really think we should shut off the rest of the house and just stay in the kitchen/living area. What do ya think?"

"Yes, I agree. We also need to go on a supply run. We need winter supplies. I was thinking that maybe you and I could head out towards Traphill and Daryl could stay here with Hunter."

Daryl walked in at the tail end of the conversation as he heard Gus's proposal to Anna. "She ain't going on a run. I'm fine to go."

Anna's mouth drew firm. "No, you are still not one-hundred percent. I can go. Traphill isn't anything like McGrady. It is actually a bit of an old resort community. There are some Ski Stores and little shops there that we could most likely get some warm clothes and various other supplies. Daddy and I know the place like the back of our hand. We would probably be gone about four hours. Sorry Daryl, you don't win this argument."

Daryl was pissed. It was going to drive him crazy if she was away from the house and he couldn't be there to protect her. Gus was more than capable, but Gus was also well into his sixties and didn't have the same strength and reflexes that Daryl had. He then spoke, "This isn't an argument, this is a fact. I don't go, you don't go, we will just wait."

Gus could see a tiff brewing. He didn't want to get in between them, but Anna was more than capable of doing a short simple run like this and Daryl was over-reacting. He could appreciate Daryl's concern, but Gus was Anna's father and he would die before he let anything happen to his baby girl. Gus finally decided to interject,

"Daryl, there is no need for concern. We got this covered. We even know the back roads to Traphill from here. Don't know if you know it or not, but this was a big moonshining community back in the day. There are all sorts of hidden escapes and ways to get around without getting noticed. I promise you son She will be fine."

Daryl then retorted, "Gus, with all due respect, you aren't a young man anymore, and I am more than capable of going with you."

Gus was getting a bit impatient with Daryl, "No Daryl, with all due respect to you, you can't even properly handle a weapon right now, you would just be a liability if something happened. Anna is plenty quick on her feet and I am expertly trained with weapons. You need to stay here and not risk injuring yourself worse. The longer it takes you to heal, the longer we are at an increased risk."

Daryl flew hot, "I ain't no fucking liability, I can take…"

Anna jumped in, "Daryl Dixon, Just shut up and please do what we ask. Do it for me. What if something happened here to Hunter and me while you and Daddy were out? I will feel better knowing you are with Hunter."

Shit, she played the "Hunter" card and Daryl couldn't argue back. He began pacing like a tiger back and forth. It was obvious he wasn't happy, but it was obvious that Anna had won the argument.

"Fine, when are y'all going?" He said.

Gus replied, "First thing in the morning."

"Alright" Daryl Said, "But Anna is getting trained with some weapons this afternoon, she can't hit the broadside of a barn from twenty feet."

She could tell he was still angry, but she also knew that him training her to use weapons would at least make him feel like he was contributing. Daryl Dixon couldn't stand to feel useless. So if him coaching her in the artistry of killing was going to make him feel better, then she certainly was willing to let him.

The temperature was really starting to drop and Daryl made the comment that it smelled like snow in the air. He hadn't been around much snow growing up in Georgia, but the few times that it did he always sensed it was coming. He took her outside for about two hours and taught her how to shoot a rifle and a handgun. She actually caught on pretty quick once she got over the fear of the weapon kicking back. After he felt satisfied she could handle a gun well enough to protect herself, he brought her back in the house and proceeded to teach her the proper ways to handle a knife. He just hoped like hell that she wouldn't have to get close enough to anything that would warrant her using a knife.

Gus was actually quite intrigued at how quickly Anna had caught on to each thing that Daryl was teaching her. Gus had always avoided showing her combat techniques just because she was his little girl and he didn't want to see his little princess involved in any type of violence. He realized now that was a mistake. Anna actually took to handling weapons better than Marco had. Maybe if he had showed Anna some of these techniques earlier she might have been able to fend off Marco better when he attacked her.

The temperature continued to drop throughout the day and the winds picked up. Sure enough it started to snow, and snow heavy. Gus was actually happy about the situation. He said that the cold weather and snow would make it easier to spot any tracks that belonged to others and it would also slow any walkers down considerably. Daryl hated the fact he couldn't go out hunting because it would make tracking easier as well.

Since the propane was so low, and the Solar panels weren't going to be much use, they shut off all the rooms in the house. The Great room/Kitchen area was one giant room, and it had a very large fireplace and hearth. Daryl and Gus went outside and gathered as much wood as they could (a bit of a challenge for the one-armed Daryl) and stacked it by the hearth. Once the rest of the house was shut off, it was actually quite cozy in the room.

Anna cooked a stew in a heavy pot over the fire in the fireplace. It was kind of like camping out, with a bit better accommodations. It took a little longer to cook the meal, but the result was delicious. Daryl was impressed at how well Anna could cook. Anna was impressed at how well Daryl liked her cooking.

As the evening wore on Daryl and Gus busied themselves with a game of chess and Anna took care of Hunter. She was sure to bundle the little girl up since it was still so much cooler in the house. She discreetly fed her and then put her down in her bassinet. They set it up close to the fire so that the baby would be warm.

Both couches in the living room pulled out into beds, so she pulled them out and made them up for sleeping. It was going to be a bit awkward sleeping with Daryl with her father in the room. The activities of the previous night were definitely not going to be repeated while Gus was sleeping in the room. She knew Daryl wouldn't even consider it, nor would she. There were just some things that would have to wait until more privacy could be afforded.

She placed clean sheets and heavy quilts on each bed. Ava loved to quilt in her spare time so there was an abundance of quilts throughout the house. Even though Ava was no longer with them, there were still bits and pieces of Ava everywhere around them. It comforted her to know that her mom's memory surrounded her like a guardian angel.

It was decided that since they were basically without any power right now and Gus's cameras and sensors were useless, that Daryl would take watch. She hated the fact he wouldn't be sleeping with her, but she also knew that her and Gus would need their rest for the trip tomorrow. There was a third floor observation tower that allowed a 360 degree view of the area, and though it was cold up there, it wasn't as cold and wet as it would be if Daryl was outside in the elements.

Daryl took the night vision goggles and a sniper rifle and headed up the stairs. He kissed Anna and Hunter gently as he passed by. He wanted nothing more than to take Anna up stairs with him and hold her in his arms, but he knew she needed her rest and that he didn't need to be distracted while on watch.

He knew he was going to be worried about them tomorrow. Caring for Hunter would keep him pre-occupied some of the time, but Hunter still would sleep most of day. He knew that they had been correct in their conclusion that he needed to stay behind, but Daryl Dixon still hated the fact that he could even remotely be deemed a weak link in the chain.

Anna was trying to fall asleep. She was nervous about leaving Hunter in the morning. If something happened to her though, she knew that Daryl would do everything in his power to make sure that Hunter was properly cared for. She assumed that if Gus and Anna didn't return that Daryl would eventually take the baby and head back to the Prison down in Georgia. At least then people that would care for them would surround the two of them and Daryl would have help in raising the little girl. The thought of never seeing her baby again made her sick to the stomach.

Anna got up and went over to the sleeping child's bassinet and gently picked up her little girl and held her in her arms. She kissed the tiny child and then laid her back in her bassinet. She was more determined than ever to make sure their little mission would be a quick, safe, success and she knew her father would be focused on the same goal. She slid back into the bed and soon drifted off to sleep dreaming of Daryl and Hunter.

**Feel free to review ALL you want. I am not sure I will be able to get an update tomorrow because it is Company Christmas party time, and well truth be told, it takes a lot of work to get myself in a presentable manner LOL. If I can't update tomorrow I will do two chapters the next day. Hope you all are enjoying the story and if you have ANY suggestions please let me know. And I am still contemplating a prison reunion. Just want everyone to weigh in on it!**

**PS...Thanks to FloodFeSTeR and DarylDixon'sLover for all your support and advice. You two have helped me stay positive and encouraged!**


	25. Chapter 25

**It's late and technically I missed a day...sorry. Hope you guys enjoy. There is some quality daddy/daughter time in this chapter on both fronts. Please review and let me know if you have any suggestions. **

**As usual...I don't own the Walking Dead...too bad though!**

**Review Review Review...**

Daryl's watch was uneventful. That was a good thing. Light was beginning to break against the horizon and it was still snowing. The whole area looked like a winter wonderland. It was truly beautiful. Snow had a way of making everything look fresh and pure. It hid a multitude of abominations that were truly going on in the world. He got up and headed back down into the main part of the house.

Everyone was still asleep so he went and added a few more logs to the fire and stoked the flames. It was much warmer in this part of the house and he checked on the baby to make sure she plenty warm. Just looking at her little figure tugged at Daryl's heart. He hated to admit it, but he felt like Hunter was his own daughter. It wasn't right to feel that way. The baby's daddy had died saving her and her mother, and he would never take that away from Hunter. Her father died a hero and she deserved to know that. Daryl figured he would never be able to compare to John and that he himself would just be a poor substitute.

Gus must have heard Daryl come back into the main part of the house. He woke up as Daryl had come in and added the wood to the fire. Gus was eager to get the supply run over with and get Anna back to Daryl. Daryl was a good man. Before the apocalypse he would have been skeptical of Anna being attached to someone like Daryl, but initial impressions went out the window when the world went to shit. Daryl was a good and noble man and Gus couldn't think of anyone else that he would want Anna to be with. Life had a funny way of changing people.

Anna finally woke and quickly got out of bed. She made a rushed breakfast of eggs and bacon cooked on the fire in a black iron skillet. She then fed Hunter and got dressed. She was sure to put on several layers of clothing to keep her warm in the menacing weather outside.

Daryl strapped her down with various weapons and Gus loaded up on some weapons as well. Neither one spent much time on lengthy good-byes. They all wanted to think that this would be a simple run and that they would be back early afternoon and able to eat dinner together later on. Focusing on the positive was the only way that either of them could tolerate this separation.

Daryl picked up Hunter and then headed to the SUV with Gus and Anna. He kissed Anna hard and passionately and then patted Gus on the back,

"Y'all gotta hurry back. If ya don't Hunter is gonna want me to play Barbies with her or something and Daryl Dixon don't do dolls."

They laughed at Daryl's attempt to lighten the tension. Separation in these times was a very anxious event and there was nothing any of them wanted more than to be back together.

Gus pulled Daryl to the side and whispered to him, "I got her. Don't you worry yourself OK?" He then handed Daryl a piece of paper that was actually a map of the area. The intended route that Gus was preparing to take was marked for Daryl just in case they didn't return in a timely manner.

"Hopefully you won't need this, but if we aren't back in eight hours then you might want to come look for us." It wasn't something that either wanted to think about, but it was a reality of what could possibly happen. Daryl nodded and then put the piece of paper in his pocket. He prayed that the piece of paper wouldn't be needed.

He went back inside and gathered up the baby as he lay down on the couch. He snuggled her up close to him and attempted to go to sleep. Unfortunately sleep wouldn't come as Daryl struggled with nervousness. He wished he could have at least gone along as an extra set of eyes, but that would mean that they would have to take Hunter, and if they were exposed to any danger, then Hunter's life would be put a risk, and that was not a chance that anyone would dare to take.

He lay there with her for about thirty minutes, and then she started to get fussy. He checked her over and discovered that she needed a diaper change. If anyone had said in the past that Daryl Dixon would be changing diapers, he would have laughed the loudest, but here he was babysitting a little girl and changing diapers. Merle and his father would have been relentless in their teasing because in their mind real men "don't do babies, that was women's work". True to form, Daryl's father never did anything to care for him or Merle and left them to raise themselves. They were often dirty, hungry, and left alone for days at a time. Daryl never wanted Hunter to feel those horrific feelings of neglect. He vowed to himself that he would not let it happen to her.

He figured in the world before he would have asked Anna to marry him. However, Marriage didn't seem to be a necessity these days. He knew that he was committed to her, but it would be nice to have some sort of ceremony where he could declare his love for her "in front of God and everybody" as Merle used to say. Daryl Dixon was becoming a hopeless romantic…who knew.

It took Anna and Gus about an hour to get to the town of Traphill. When they got there the town was completely untouched. Traphill normally boasted a population of around three hundred, but in the winter time the ski resorts would load up and the population could swell to over two thousand. Christmas was always magical, as the whole town would display an amazing light show. It was really an incredible sight to see. Anna had worked at one of the resorts as a maid when she was a teenager. It wasn't the most rewarding job, but she loved meeting people from other parts of the country and sharing stories about living in the mountains.

The first store they decided to hit was an overpriced Ski Shop. They made it in and out in about twenty minutes and managed to get plenty of winter clothes including baby items and a few hoodies that Anna picked up for Daryl. She couldn't imagine him wearing the colorful preppy sweaters that were available for the men. However, she did pick a few up for her father. Gus had absolutely no sense of style to him at all. Ava picked out his clothes every morning before he got dressed. The few times that Gus picked out his own clothes were nothing short of a fashion disaster.

They spent another hour going through the stores. They managed to pick up food, additional baby supplies, camping supplies, and a small jackpot of fifteen propane canisters. It was enough propane that it could last at least an additional two weeks if they were smart with managing its use.

Anna was amazed that they had not come across a single walker. She assumed that because the virus broke out in the summer time that most people were spending vacations at the beach and Disney World and not in the mountains at a Ski resort. It still seemed odd that there weren't any residents wandering around as well. Maybe they all evacuated when things started to get bad and people headed for the hills. Or maybe they all got caught up in a herd like the ones that were wandering throughout Georgia. She didn't know, but she wasn't complaining either.

Once they had everything loaded in as tightly as possible in the SUV they got ready to head back home. Anna couldn't wait to hold little Hunter and lay down with Daryl. Gus would take watch tonight and that would allow them some precious alone time once Hunter was settled down and asleep.

Anna began talking to her father as they headed home, "I will be so glad to get home to see Daryl and Hunter. I really miss being with them. Poor Daryl must be going crazy about now, but he never complains."

"I really like Daryl. He has helped us out so much since he has been here. He loves you; I can see it. I don't think there is anything he wouldn't do for you."

"I know daddy, I am really lucky to have him. He is going to be the only father that Hunter will ever know. He has protected us and put his own life at risk doing so. I don't know what I can do to repay him, but I want him to know the happiness that I always have known." She said.

Gus replied, "Yeah, I can tell he hasn't had the best upbringing. I don't know the details, but I would guess he never received much love or support, and he probably took a lot of abuse. It's a shame too, because I can tell he has a huge heart. Anyone who suffered the things that I suspect he suffered that still has the ability to care for others like he does has to have a huge heart. Lesser things have turned men into uncaring evil monsters."

"I know daddy, he can be a bit rough around the edges, but there is a tenderness to him that is absolutely amazing. I am in love him." Anna said.

"You know baby girl, you mentioned about him being a daddy to Hunter, but I don't think he knows that you would consider letting him fill that role. I think that he is afraid to overshadow John as the baby's father. He respects John's memory enough that he wouldn't want you to feel like he was trying to take on that role by overstepping his bounds. Have you let him know that you would be alright with allowing him to be Hunter's father?"

Anna thought for a second and then replied, "You know, you have a good point. I didn't even think that he would step back out of fear of intruding on John's legacy. This is something I am going to talk to him about as soon as we get back. I just assumed that Daryl knew for all intents and purposes that he would be Hunter's father. Of course we won't let her forget about John, but Daryl already loves her and he deserves to be her father if that is what he wants."

"You know how proud I am of you Anna-Maria. You have turned out to be an amazing woman and you have brought nothing but joy to me and your mama. I am so happy that she got to meet Hunter before she left us. I know that little girl made her life complete. And considering all that you suffered from with losing John, struggling on your own, and almost dying at your brothers hands, you still have a positive outlook on life." Gus told her.

"Thank you daddy, I love you so much. You have always been my greatest support. And thanks for the advice with Daryl. I am glad that God made you my father. I couldn't have picked a better one." Anna gushed.

They both enjoyed the conversation with each other. They continued on their way home to the rest of their family. Gus drove carefully as the roads were quite icy. As they headed over the bridge that forded the Roaring River a group of twenty walkers came out of nowhere. Gus swerved to avoid hitting them dead-on and the vehicle began to spin out of control. It quickly slid off the road and started down the embankment. One wheel caught on a tree and it caused the vehicle to start flipping. Gus felt the steering wheel hit his chest and felt his breath leave him. He heard Anna scream and glass break and then everything came to a stop and all went silent. Gus felt himself losing consciousness, but not before he heard Anna whisper one word… "Walkers!"


	26. Chapter 26

**This was a tough chapter to write.**

It had been six hours since they left. Gus had said to wait eight, but Daryl Dixon didn't have patience. He was sitting out on the back deck in the snow, praying he would hear or see some sign of them returning up the mountain. He was smoking a cigarette to calm his nerves. Anna hadn't discovered his secret stash he had hidden from her after his last supply run.

"Fuck it" He said out loud. He had a feeling deep in his gut that something was wrong. He pulled the piece of paper out of his pocket and looked at the map that Gus had marked the intended route on. It was fifteen miles from the house to Traphill. He knew it would take about an hour to get there with the conditions of the road as they were, but they had been gone entirely too long. Daryl couldn't wait any longer.

He hated that he was going to have to take Hunter with him, but he had no other choice. He fed her, changed her, and then bundled her up tightly and warmly. He prepared a bag of extras to take with him and then strapped her in her carrier. He threw the baby sling in his personal pack just in case he had to be on foot for any period of time. Against his better judgement, he removed the splint that his wrist had been in the past few weeks. He had to assume that it was in at least decent enough condition that if he used it he wouldn't set himself back to square one.

The truck wasn't a four-wheel drive vehicle like Gus's SUV. He briefly thought about taking the Gator, but it would take three times as long and it would be too much exposure for Hunter in the snow and ice. At least the truck was a front wheel drive, which would help keeping traction with the weight on the front of the vehicle.

It was early afternoon when he headed out. Daryl took his time maneuvering down the mountain and the back roads. In reality he wanted to drive like hell, but getting stuck in a ditch would be counter productive to his current mission. Daryl was watching the road closely and noticed a figure moving in the road, and based on the way it was moving he determined it to be a walker.

Seeing a walker in this type of weather was a bit concerning. Gus had assumed that the cold and the snow would have slowed them down or even caused them to go somewhat dormant. But this walker was moving rather quickly. After about a minute another walker came out of the woods, followed by another, then another. Before he knew it there was about ten walkers now ambling down the road.

"Aww Fuck!" He hit his hands on the steering wheel and his actions startled Hunter and she began to cry. He couldn't just stop here and let them attack the truck while he tended to the baby. He now felt more desperate than ever. He still couldn't properly handle his crossbow, and he was afraid of firing one of his guns in fear of attracting even more walkers. Seeing this amount of walking dead really had his mind panicking about Anna and Gus. What if they had run into a horde? Anna's skills were minimal at best and Gus wouldn't be able to ward off a group by himself. Daryl felt like he would be sick.

Daryl decided his best defense was to just wait. He gathered the baby up in his arms and slipped down into the floorboards. He prayed that the creatures didn't sense that there were living, breathing humans in the truck. He could hear their telltale growls outside the truck but so far none had made any attempt to gain access. He held his breath and hoped that Hunter wouldn't cry. She seemed to like being held closely to his body, and it must have made her feel safe.

After about twenty minutes Daryl stopped hearing any signs of the Walkers. He slowly raised his head up and looked around the area. Fortunately it looked like the horde had moved on past the vehicle. It was a close call and Daryl needed to find Anna and Gus fast. If only he had a bigger truck. Then he would have rolled right over the top of the things, but the truck that him and Anna had driven up in from Georgia was just a small pick-up truck and it would have been less than ideal to take on a group that size.

He continued down the road another mile or so and spotted another walker. Damnit! These things were everywhere. There was something very strange about the way that this one was moving. It almost looked alive. Daryl almost wrecked the vehicle when he realized that this one WAS alive. And then he realized that it was Anna. She was stumbling and covered in blood and his heart hit stomach. This was not a good sign; in fact this was horrific.

He stopped the truck in the middle of the road and ran over to her, scooping her up into his arms and pulling her inside the truck.

"Baby, baby" He hollered, "What the fuck happened, where is Gus?" His voice was shaky and his eyes were panicked.

"Daryl, God, I am so glad to see you. I'm not bit. We were in an accident…" Her voice was weak and he could tell she had suffered some injuries. She was shivering uncontrollably and her lips were turning slightly blue. He turned the heat full blast and began rubbing her arms trying to get her to warm up.

"Baby, where did y'all wreck?" He asked. He didn't want to overwhelm her with questions, but he needed to find Gus and find him quick.

"Up the road at the bridge. Daryl, there was a herd of walkers…" Tears sprang from her eyes. Her fear for her father's well being was evident.

"Where's Gus? Why ain't he with you?" Daryl responded. He knew he sounded terse, but he needed to get answers quick.

"He couldn't get out of the car he was trapped, then there were walkers everywhere. I had to take some of them out and then I ran, I just ran… I needed help…Daryl, he's still there."

Daryl took a deep breath and ran his hands over his face. He needed to get to Gus but Anna was in no condition to help with any type of rescue, and they still had Hunter to think about. He didn't want to risk running into another small horde with the minimal protection that the vehicle provided. But he didn't have any choice. If he went on foot it would take too long and his odds of survival would be slim.

"Come on, we're going to get your Daddy. How far up the road is the bridge?" He asked.

She spoke, barely above a whisper, "About a mile, two at the most." He nodded and put the truck in gear as they drove off.

Neither he nor anyone could have been prepared at what they found at the accident scene. There was at least seven dead walkers littering the area around the vehicle. His woman had done an impressive job at killing them. Maybe he had underestimated her abilities, or just her will to survive, either way she had taken them out cleanly.

He went down to the SUV, which was lying, on its roof. The supplies inside were all still intact. He went over to the driver's side to pull Gus out, but what he found instead was a smashed window and two sets of footprints. He followed the footprints up the hill into the tree line and the sight before him caused him to drop to his knees, "Nooooooo!"

In front of him was Gus's dead body impaled crucifixion style to a tree. Stabbed in the middle of his chest was a piece of paper with the words "YOUR NEXT" written in Gus's blood. Daryl began to vomit immediately. He had not been prepared for what he was going to see. He thought he might find Gus dead of his injuries, or even ripped apart by walkers, not to find him brutally murdered and impaled to a tree.

What was he going to tell Anna? Hell, he loved Gus like a father. The man had accepted him and treated him like his own son. He didn't deserve to die like this. Daryl was startled out of his daze by the sound of growling. He grabbed his knife to prepare to kill whatever was about to come after him. Unfortunately it wasn't a walker that he heard, but it was Gus. The bastards hadn't even had the courtesy to stab him in the brain.

Just as he was when he found Merle, he was overcome with emotion and grief. He had to fight with every fiber of his being to hold back the sobs that he wanted to let out. Every person that Daryl had grown to love was slowly being taken away from him one by one. Immediately his mind went to Anna and Hunter. They were all he had left and he would be damned if he were going to let anything happen to them. This was going to destroy Anna, but he knew he had to tell her. He didn't want her to see Gus like this.

He went over to the tree and stabbed Gus in the back of the head. Ending his after life immediately. He then carefully took him down from the tree. Tears streamed down Daryl's cheeks as he placed Gus's body on the ground. The pure white snow was now being stained with the blood from Gus's wounds. The sight made Daryl angry, angrier than he had been in a long time. He knew who had done this, and he wasn't going to let it lie. He went to the SUV and pulled out a sheet and then returned to wrap Gus's body.

He lovingly wrapped the man up in the sheet while regaining his composure. This nightmare still wasn't over by a long shot, and he now had to find the way to tell Anna that her father had been murdered. He feared her reaction worse than anything and knew he had to keep it together for her sake. Silently Daryl Dixon had just personally declared war on the town of McGrady.

**Please feel free to review. Ok, I'm begging for reviews, let's be honest. Thanks for all the follows and the favorites! They mean the world to me!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Kind of a sad chapter. Not a lot of action, but a lot of emotion. **

**I love all of you have reviewed, favorited, and followed and I appreciate all the support. It makes this fun and worth doing!**

**Hope everyone is having a nice Holiday season also. **

**Take Care**

**Missy**

**XXOO**

Daryl made his way back to the vehicle full of dread. All he wanted to do was protect Anna and make her happy. Now here he was about to deliver her a horrible blow. She had lost her entire family over the past few weeks and he knew that her and Gus had an exceptionally strong bond. This wasn't going to be easy.

He opened the truck door and she was sitting curled up holding Hunter. When she saw Daryl's face she knew immediately something wasn't right. "What is it? Tell me now" She demanded.

He didn't know what to say, so he just said it, "We were too late, Gus didn't make it."

She burst into tears, "No, No, Not my daddy too…. I didn't know his injuries were that bad. He was talking to me...he was just stuck. I was gonna come get you and I thought we had time to get him out. No, this can't be…"

Her gut wrenching sobs were killing Daryl. He pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Her sobbing was uncontrollable and the pain in his chest was overwhelming. He had just delivered the worse news possible to the person he loved most in the world. To make the situation even worse, he had to tell her what he found, and they needed to get out of there soon. There was no telling if anyone was watching them or waiting to ambush them.

"Baby, I don't know how to tell you this. Your dad didn't die of his injuries, he was murdered." He didn't give her the exact details of how he found Gus.

"What do you mean murdered? What the fuck Daryl? Who…Ah fuck, not again. Those cannibalistic psycho paths are going to pay for what they have done" She then lost it. Daryl pulled the baby from her as she jumped out of the truck and began having a complete meltdown. She needed to take it easy, but instead she began screaming, kicking, and hitting anything she could get her hands on. Daryl quickly put the baby in her seat and ran to her. They both collapsed to the ground as he tried to get her to calm down. He had never seen her angry like this, and it scared him.

She finally got herself under control and he had her get back in the truck. He feared that her screaming fit might have alerted other walkers in the area. He then went and retrieved Gus's body and gently laid it in the back of the truck. He made a mental note to return and retrieve the supplies from the abandoned SUV. There were items in there that they needed, but right now he just needed to get Anna and Hunter home and back to the safety of their fortress.

The roads had become more icy than snowy, and it made it a bit challenging getting back up the mountain. With the SUV gone Daryl made a mental note to procure another vehicle. Once he could get everything sorted with Anna he would begin his mission of vengeance on the town of McGrady. He had so many things running through his mind right now that he was going to need to take the time to develop a plan. He was going to lay everything out on paper and come up with a way to make those inbreeds pay for everything they had done.

Daryl carried in Hunter and helped Anna in as well. Before she would tend to herself, she wanted to take care of her daughter. She looked battered, worn, and lost all at the same time. Daryl was more than just a little worried about her. He dare say she actually seemed broken. He had never seen her so distant. She appeared to just be going through the motions. He was solely committed to her now, and he would see to it that she would get through this nightmare, even though he himself was struggling to keep everything together. It would be so easy to revert to "old" Daryl, like he was back in the days of the quarry. But Daryl knew he was a better man than that, and in the end the only one he would end up hurting would be Anna.

She asked him to prepare her a bath. He hoped that the Solar panels had enough juice left in them so that there would be adequate hot water. As he was finishing filling the tub she came into the bathroom and shut the door and he stood up to leave. She simply whispered on word, "Stay."

He knew that this wasn't about sex. She just didn't want to be alone. He helped her get out of her clothes and into the tub. She was in front of him completely naked and he thought she was absolutely beautiful. He picked up a sponge and began to wash her back for her. She hissed as the soap burned into a few of her wounds. He would make sure to get those taken care of as soon as she was done with her bath.

They didn't really speak as he continued to wash her. She silently continued crying. Anna's heart was broken and he knew that she needed to grieve. He washed her hair and rinsed it and she hardly moved. He then touched her shoulder and she grabbed his hand. She turned her head slightly and kissed it and then softly said, "Thank you. This means more to me than you know." He simply looked at her and nodded.

The water began to cool and he helped her out of the tub and then wrapped her up in a large towel. She turned into him and he then wrapped his arms around her. She didn't want him to leave her side and he wasn't sure if it was from fear or she just didn't want to be by herself.

The fire in the fireplace from earlier in the day had long since gone out and the house was starting to get very cold. Daryl brought Anna into the great room and handed her some clothes for her to wear. He then began building up the wood in the fireplace and started another fire. After she was dressed he laid her down on the bed and wrapped her up in some quilts so she would be warm. He gathered up Hunter and brought her to her mother. He knew that Hunter's presence alone would soothe Anna ever so much.

"Baby, you want me to fix us something to eat? I'm sure you haven't had anything all day and you need to keep your strength up for the baby. We gotta be strong for that little girl." He said.

She simply nodded. She still hadn't really spoken since her meltdown in the snow. He needed to prepare something healthy and filling so that she would continue to produce enough nutrition for both her and Hunter. He wanted nothing more than for his girls to be happy and cared for, so if it meant that he had to be a caretaker for a few days, he was more than happy too do it.

There was quite a bit of meat still stored downstairs in the freezer. That was one appliance that they needed to keep running so that they could sustain throughout the winter. He was going to have to go hunt sometime soon to bring in some more fresh meat, and he would then cure it in the smokehouse so that it would be ready in about a week.

Daryl was going to have to learn how to keep everything running in this place. He had watched Gus operate the generators and the security system. He knew how to properly handle and maintain the weapons in the arsenal but he was going to need Anna's help to maintain the integrity of the place. He was sure that Ava did the same thing for Gus before they arrived. Once they could secure enough propane to keep the generators running consistently, then they would be able to utilize the security systems that Gus had put in place. For all intents and purposes this was now His and Anna's place and his sole responsibility to maintain.

Daryl managed to make a savory stew out of some hog meat that he found in the freezer and some jars of vegetables that Ava had put up. They would also need to be planting a garden in early spring so that they could continue to keep vegetables for longer periods of time. He wasn't sure if Anna knew how to preserve foods like her mother did, but he guessed that Ava had passed on the tradition at some point and time to her daughter.

He went over to Anna, who continued to cradle the baby closely and asked,

"You wanna eat at the table, or here in bed? Either way is fine with me."

"Table is fine." She said.

She carried Hunter with her and sat down at the table to eat. Her eyes still looked vacant and she had almost no expression on her face. She played with her food more than she ate it. He guessed she probably didn't have much of an appetite, he didn't either truth be told, but they needed to eat to sustain and function, especially in the winter weather.

"Anna baby, I know you are hurting, but please eat for me. I need you to stay strong. We got a lot to do and I can only do it with your help. Please do it for me." He said.

He saw her take a deep breath and then she nodded. At least she was going to eat now. After she finished her bowl she finally spoke, "Daryl, the last thing Daddy and I were talking about was you."

He looked nervous for a moment, as if she was going to tell him something devastating, then she continued,

"Daddy loved you like a son in the short period of time he got to know you. Mama did too," tears began rolling down her cheeks and she fought to control her speech, "but one thing he brought up to me that I had taken for granted was your role with Hunter."

He spoke up, "I don't want to take John's place, I will always be there for both of you, I just…."

She shushed him and said, "I want you to be her daddy if you want. John is her biological father, and he loved her even though he never knew her, but you have every right to be her physical daddy. She is doubly blessed to have had both men in her life. You deserve to be her father if you would like. I would be honored for you to be her father."

Daryl could feel a lump forming in his throat. He already loved Hunter as if she was his own. There was nothing he wanted more than this, but he was so afraid of how Anna would feel and if she would feel like he was dishonoring John. But here she was telling him that she wanted him to be Hunter's father and now he was overcome with emotion.

He couldn't speak. He just rushed to Anna and Hunter and wrapped his arms around them and began to sob like a child. The last time he broke down like this was when he lost Merle. All the emotions of the day had just flooded over him and he couldn't maintain control any longer. He had fought all his life to keep a check on his emotions and for once, he didn't want to fight them. He let go of everything that he had kept locked up inside him and they both broke down unabashedly in each other's arms.

After he finally regained his composure he looked at her and took her hand, while placing a hand on Hunter's back and simply said, "Yes, I wanna be her daddy and I want you to be my wife if you will have me."

**Oh...please Review Review Review...it's the only way I know if you are liking or hating this story.**


	28. Chapter 28

**I unfortunately do not own the Walking dead or it's characters...**

They woke up early the next morning wrapped up in each other's arms. Both of them were emotionally exhausted after everything that they had experienced the day before. Anna was gently running her fingers over Daryl's chest and arms. Just her touch made him feel relaxed and less anxious than he had felt in a while. She made him feel complete.

"So you want me to be Mrs. Dixon huh?" she whispered to him.

"Yes, more than anything." He responded.

"Well that will definitely be a change, to actually have a last name that people can pronounce." She laughed.

"So are you saying yes?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm saying "yes" Mr. Dixon. You want me, then you got me." She quipped back to him.

"I wanted to ask your Dad and do this all proper, and I'm sorry I waited too long to have the chance. But I want you to know that I will never let you regret this." He said.

"Daryl, Can I ask you something. I know it doesn't matter much with the things in the world as they are, but can we have Hunter's name be Hunter Michelle Bettatucci-Dixon? I don't want it to offend you, but I just want her to have something that symbolizes John?" Anna looked at him pensively.

"Nope, not a problem. She deserves to have him as part of her heritage. We won't let her forget him, I promise. He's the reason we have her." He understood Anna's reasoning.

Hunter woke up and starting wailing. Not just little sniffles, but full on wailing. Anna looked at Daryl and simply said, "Well Daddy, time to take care of you daughter, I'm going back to sleep." He laughed and got up to tend to the needy infant. After he was done changing and feeding her, then he got back in bed with Anna and pulled her to his chest. They were both exhausted and he felt they needed the sleep.

The next week was spent just getting an inventory of everything that they had for supplies and weapons and securing the house and property. It was now mid December and they were enjoying an unusual warm snap. Daryl took advantage of the weather. They had a memorial service for Gus and buried him beside his beloved Ava. They would be together now for eternity and their graves would see the sunrise each morning.

Daryl had taken the chance and went back to the SUV and retrieved the supplies. Anna was a nervous wreck while he was gone. Fortunately he was only gone about two hours as a result of the snow and ice being melted and the roads were much more passable. He was armed to the hilt and took no chances of anyone making a sneak attack on him. He even had Anna and Hunter shut themselves up in the safe room while he was gone. He contemplated them moving their sleeping quarters permanently to the room in case there was an attempt to attack them at night.

Anna had developed a routine as well. She would get up and tend to Hunter in the morning, and then she would prepare a breakfast for her and Daryl. She wanted to make sure he ate well since he was burning so much energy keeping them safe and running things around the property. She would them pump three times a day storing up as much milk for the baby as possible. This was more a precaution just in case something happened to her. After they ate lunch she would train with Daryl every afternoon until he felt she was done. She would then prepare dinner, tend to the baby, and then her and Daryl would wind down for the evening, taking as much precious time as they possibly could being a family.

Daryl had begun planning how he was going to eliminate the threat that was McGrady. One thing they were sorely missing was other people to assist them. He found a box of maps of the area and getting to McGrady while remaining undetected wasn't going to be an easy feat. The first thing they were going to need was a better vehicle. Something with four-wheel drive would almost be mandatory. A humvee would be perfect.

One of the maps he came across was an older postal map. It was about ten years old, but he doubted that the area had changed that much. It had a listing of the homes and the residents of the entire county. This was going to be his best bet for getting an accurate layout of the town.

There appeared to be an old logging trail that lead to the town from a back entrance, but it had a note that there was a bridge washed out across a large creek. He wondered if he could construct something sturdy enough to allow him to get a vehicle through. He decided he would take the Gator down and investigate. It was worth the risk. The element of surprise was going to be their strongest offense.

He had hated to think about it, but one of the tactics the Governor had used on one of his attacks on the prison was actually a pretty good idea. The Governor had basically made a "walker bomb" out of a box truck. It was effective and wreaked havoc on the prison yard and he figured he could try to scout the area and find one. He would see if Anna remembered seeing one on her trip to Traphill.

Anna brought him out of his planning session by sneaking up behind him and kissing him on the neck. She moved her mouth up from his pulse point to his ear lobe and gently licked him. Immediately his mind went blank and all the planning he was doing was quickly forgot. She was his kryptonite.

"Hey Daryl sweetie," She started, " I was thinking we could have dinner outside tonight. The weather is warm and it would be good for Hunter to get some fresh air, what do you think?"

"That's fine. I've got some things to go over with you anyhow while we eat. I've got a few plans in the works for getting rid of McGrady once and for all."

"Anything you want babe. I want those motherfuckers gone. They aren't taking anything else from me." She said. He got a kick out of hearing her swear. It just didn't sound natural coming from her. Even if she did look like she walked off the set of Jersey Shore.

She served dinner to Daryl and fed Hunter while he ate. He told her about his plans for the "walker bomb" and also investigating the logging trail for a back way to McGrady. He doubted anyone would suspect an attack from that direction. She listened intently and told him she knew of a place that they might be able to get a box truck, but it wasn't towards Traphill, it was actually towards a small crossroads that was only about five miles away. One of the older gentlemen that lived there used to repair box trucks and delivery trucks for a living.

As they were finishing up with dinner and just lightly chatting she heard a sound that she hadn't heard in a while. "Shhh…listen," she said.

He listened intently and immediately told her to get inside. What they heard was the sound of a vehicle and it was heading up the mountain at rapid pace. He turned all the security systems on and they headed down to the safe room. The safe room had a video monitoring system that would work when the generators were running.

Once they were all gathered in the room he took a breath and they watched the monitors. Daryl was loading his weapons and handing them off to Anna. She watched the monitor and suddenly she began to smile. The look bewildered Daryl. Why would she be smiling at a time like this? Finally she spoke up. "Open the door. I know these people. Daryl we might now have some help!"

She ran out of the safe room and up the stairs. He picked up Hunter and followed behind her. She burst out the front door and gave one of the two gentlemen in front of her a big hug. "Uncle Marty and Uncle Joe…Thank God you're alive." Both men took a turn gathering her up into a big hug. These guys looked like an older version of Tony Soprano.

" Baby girl. We are so glad to see you. We have your aunts with us at the vacation home. We came to see your parents, and who is this we have here?" They said as they nodded towards Daryl and Hunter. They had heavy Italian accents and looked absolutely menacing. These were two men Daryl wouldn't want to be on the bad side of.

Daryl extended his hand and introduced himself, "Daryl Dixon, and this is our Daughter Hunter." The words flowed off his tongue naturally. That statement from Daryl brought on more hugs and kisses and before Daryl knew it he was wrapped up in a tight bear hug from Uncle Marty. These men were full of life and he found them quite enjoyable to be around.

Anna invited them in and they all began catching up on everything that had happened. Marty and Joe had made their way down from Boston with their wives. These were Gus's two younger brothers. Marty was fifty-eight and Joe was fifty-six. They owned property up on the mountain and had been travelling for months to get to their cabin that they shared. They had driven up in a giant Lincoln Navigator that was fully loaded with a complete navigation system and bulletproof glass. Daryl found out that they too shared Gus's Prepper mentality.

Daryl asked Anna if she would mind going to get the map of McGrady he had left downstairs in the safe room. She nodded her head and handed Hunter to Daryl.

As soon as she was gone he took the opportunity to tell both men about Gus and what he had found. He still hadn't given Anna the details of the condition that he had found Gus in, but he felt these men needed to know. For some reason he immediately trusted them and knew that they would be able to help out with what needed to be done to exact vengeance in the manner that it needed to be done.

After they had visited for about two hours and Daryl was pretty confident that he had them fully up to speed they made plans to meet again first thing in the morning. They wanted Anna to bring the baby down to their cabin so she could visit with her aunts and the men would continue discussing what needed to be done.

The sense of relief that these men provided Daryl was overwhelming. He never really had any type of extended family, but he was more than thankful that Anna did. Other than Marco, her family had all been amazing and everyone welcomed Daryl with arms wide open. Hell he liked these people so much he thought he might even want to learn to speak Italian. He might even change his name to Daryl Dixonni…he chuckled to himself at that one.

**Thank you so much for all of the positive reviews. And how was that for a bit of Italiano...I really do appreciate everyone's support so much and I love reviews. They really help with the direction this story goes/will go. **

**Daryl and Anna will definitely have more intimate moments, but keep in mind she just had the baby and needs to hit her Six week mark (as doctors suggest, not sure how many folks actually make it...) before they can get to the really good stuff. Also with everything that is going on right now, I don't think either of them feel like it is the appropriate time.**

**Also, I am thinking about writing something Christmas-y into the story...any thoughts on that?**

**Review Review Review and let me know. **

**Thanx-**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


	29. Chapter 29

**Yay y'all...Chapter 29. I might not be able to update tomorrow because Santa Clause needs to wrap her presents. Please let me know how I am doing and if you like/hate the story. All I ask is if you hate the story at least let me know why in a constructive manner. Not just to be hateful.**

**Thanks for all your support and thanks to all my new followers and those that have favorited the story. There is really no bigger complement to me. Its the little things that make me happy. **

**Enjoy!**

**XXOO**

The next morning Daryl and Anna took Hunter and made their way to her Uncles' cabin. Daryl didn't even know there were more houses up on the mountain. "Hey Anna, how many homes are up here?"

She thought for a moment, "I believe thirteen, and then there is one down in the valley that doesn't have any road access, Four wheel drive only over a roughly cut path."

"Do you think anyone lives in any of them? I mean we haven't seen anyone, but that doesn't mean they aren't there?" He inquired.

"It's a possibility, I just didn't really think about it. Why are you asking?" she asked.

"Just a few thoughts going through my head. Maybe we ought to check it out. Just for safety sake." He said.

She nodded and opted not to respond. She wasn't sure what Daryl was thinking but felt he would tell her when he felt the time was right.

They finally pulled up to the heavy gate that led the way to her Uncles' house. Anna jumped out and opened the lock, and then they drove through. Daryl couldn't believe the house that he saw in front of him. It was a huge mansion like nothing he had ever seen before. He had thought Gus's house was huge, but this one dwarfed the one that Gus had built.

He looked at Anna in disbelief, and she looked back at him and smiled, "Um, lets just say that Uncle Marty and Uncle Joe were 'connected' and they sometimes needed to leave Boston while things calmed down a bit."

He had suspected as much. Well at least he knew they were well trained in covert actions. Their skills were definitely going to be needed if they wanted to take out McGrady via a surprise attack.

When they walked into the house it was like the Second Coming had happened. Daryl felt himself whisked in the arms of two very enthusiastic women. These were Anna's aunts. They were both heavy set women, whom despite the world going to hell, they still were both heavily made up and decked out in jewels and perfume. Her Aunt Vivianna was Marti's wife. She was a striking woman with jet-black hair and He guessed she was around Marti's age. The other woman was Anna's Aunt Isabella, Joe's wife. She wasn't quite as striking as Vivianna, and her hair was definitely a very bleached blond and she had obviously had a boob job that she was still very proud of, but her personality was off the chart. She had a smile that could blind a room.

The women began fussing over the baby immediately. Anna was loving all the attention that her reunited family was showering on them all. Even Daryl had to say that the jovial group almost would let you forget about the horrors that were going on in the world.

They were soon taken into the kitchen where the women had laid out a feast fit for a king. One thing Daryl couldn't deny was that Anna's family loved to eat and cook. The spread that these women had laid out on the table looked like a Golden Corral buffet. He didn't know how much food these people had stock piled, but he hoped they were being smart with rations.

After they all ate a huge meal the men all congregated together and Joe and Marty were giving Daryl a tour of the mansion. He was amazed at the incredible view of the valley that the house had. The house had been built with both security and luxury in mind. There were several lookout points in the house, and he could only assume that it had a kick ass security room and probably another arsenal of weapons somewhere on the property. One thing for sure, this family was well prepared for disaster.

It was decided that the men would take the Gator and do some reconnaissance of the logging trail to see if they could determine the condition of the bridge. They were also going to try and determine if any of McGrady folks had been up on the mountain since the night that Daryl had been burned. That had been well over a month ago, but he wasn't sure if they had followed Gus on that fateful day Daryl had found him murdered or if they just happened to come upon him on a scavenging or hunting trip.

Since Anna was with her aunts Daryl felt content that she would be safe while he was gone. He wouldn't want to be the man to come up against those women. He had a suspicion that they were probably packing heat and would have no problem taking care of someone they thought was a threat to their family.

Via the logging trail, McGrady was only six miles from the houses. This was too close for Daryl's comfort. The only saving grace was the assumption that the bridge had been washed out. It was obvious that no one had been on the trail in a long while. They had to stop and bushwhack some overgrown parts of the trail. Marty opted to be the one who performed the task. Daryl figured he wanted the chance to use his giant machete that he had carried with him. The man had incredible strength and cleared the overgrown brush with minimal swings of the blade.

After about thirty minutes they had made it to the bridge. Just as the map had said, it was washed out. But it wasn't completely beyond repair. The men got out and surveyed the damage and Uncle Joe surmised that with some chainsaws and some materials from a local home improvement store they could shore up the bridge. He estimated it would take about a week to make it secure enough to get a vehicle across it.

Daryl had explained to the men about his plans to create the "walker bomb". They thought it was a very good idea, but told him there wasn't going to be anyway to get a box truck down the logging trail. They decided that they what they would do is procure a horse trailer and a four wheel drive vehicle. The trailer would be more maneuverable and they could ditch it and return in the vehicle. Marty and Joe both thought it would be a good idea to actually get three vehicle and three trailers. They could then do a simultaneous release from three directions. It meant one of them would have to drive fifty miles to circle around the long way and come to the outskirts of the town to release the walkers, then they would return back the same way they came.

One thing that they had to their advantage was the fact that McGrady had no guards and no fences. These people were so naïve to what was going on in the world around them that they were oblivious to the idea that anyone or anything could be an outside threat. They had always been the aggressors, and that was how they survived. The had lulled themselves into a false sense of security because all the locals avoided them out of fear. They had no concept of what it was like to be attacked. That was why it had been relatively simple for Daryl, Gus, and Anna to kill Ricky Liles and rescue the baby.

While the men had been out planning their attack the women were visiting and enjoying themselves. Anna had filled Vivianna and Isabella in on her struggles since the outbreak. She had told them about the fluke of her getting pregnant after twenty years and about the tragic loss of John. Her aunts had both known John's parents and had thought the world of him. But they were happy that Anna had met Daryl, which led to "Girl Talk" from the women.

"So young lady, this Daryl is very ruggedly handsome. How is he in the sack?" Isabella asked without even batting an eyelash.

"Um, well, I, don't forget I just had a baby…"Anna managed to get out.

"What, You haven't slept with him yet?" Vivianna shouted. "A man like that needs to be kept happy, both physically and emotionally. If you don't he will go looking somewhere else."

"Aunt Viv, you have to keep in mind that we are in the middle of survival here. Between the baby, healing up from various injuries and then the death of mom and dad, we haven't really been focused on our love life." She responded. She didn't want to go into detail about Daryl's inexperience or the fact that she gave him a brief introduction to sex on his birthday. It had only been about two weeks earlier, but with everything that had been going on it seemed like months ago.

"Well, you need to doll yourself up and do something mind blowing for him to let him know you are interested. And I put the emphasis on the word "blowing" if you get my meaning." Isabella joked.

All three ladies laughed hysterically at that comment. The women continued to discuss men, cooking, babies, the end of the world, and family for the next two hours. It was getting late in the afternoon and the men hadn't returned yet. Anna had figured they would be gone for a while. Her uncles were experts at military tactics, since they had to be quite covert on their previous activities. It was decided that the women would prepare dinner for the men so they would have a nice hearty meal to eat.

The men had spent the rest of the afternoon in the Navigator searching the area for abandoned vehicles. Daryl had always considered himself an expert at hot wiring cars, but Marty and Joe had it down to a science. They could hot-wire and chop cars like nobody's business. Daryl thought it ironic that having experience in illegal activities was now a great survival skill.

They found two suitable four-wheel drive vehicles. Both black and less noticeable than a vehicle that had color to it. Tomorrow they would find a third vehicle and then they would work on trailers the rest of the week. They had decided that they would work on the logging trail and the bridge in the mornings and then work on getting the supplies and vehicles in the afternoons.

Marty and Joe also wanted to secure up not just the perimeter of their individual property, but also the perimeter of the mountain. The estimated that to properly do this they were going to need about a month. It also meant that they were going to need to find something such as a military surplus store or a police- training center. These men had no intention of leaving anything unplanned. Daryl didn't think he could have any better allies than these gentlemen. The men also decided that by not attacking immediately that McGrady would be caught even more off guard. They just had to make sure that McGrady didn't attack them first.

When the men had returned the women had prepared another huge meal. Daryl mentioned that he would like to get out and hunt some this week replenish their meat supplies. Joe and Marty offered to come along with him, but he kindly declined. He told them that he worked better on his own. Marty was concerned about Daryl being completely alone and disappeared for a few minutes. He returned with two top-notch military radios. They would be effective within a five-mile radius and had scrambled channels that would prevent anyone from listening to their conversations.

"Look, we don't have phones in this day an age, but these will work just as good as cell phones up here on the mountain. Communication is key to safety and I figure that Daryl can have one to use when he is out hunting and that will leave Anna one to use while she is alone." Marty said.

Daryl took the radios from Marty as he handed them over to him, "Thanks. Y'all don't know what lifesavers you are."

"Daryl, were family, and this is what family does." Vivianna said.

"Well, I never been around family that much coming up, but I think I could get used to this." He said.

"Well you better, because we aren't going anywhere." Joe said.

They sat down and enjoyed the feast. They all told stories and joked about life in general. When they were finished the women cleaned up and the men all went outside to enjoy a cigarette. Daryl had tried to keep his smoking a secret from Anna, but when the uncles invited him out to the back deck to enjoy a smoke, he couldn't resist. It had been a good day, and even as shitty as everything else was, Daryl had enjoyed himself.

As it was getting later in the evening Anna had gathered up the baby to get ready to return home. Of course her aunts sent her home with plenty of leftover food "in case Daryl gets hungry in the night". They were incredible ladies who loved to take care of everyone. That was one thing she loved about her Italian heritage.

When they finally got into the truck Daryl took the time to kiss Anna. She saw fireworks with the amount of passion he put into the kiss. She opened up her eyes and leaned over to him and simply said, "Next week is the sixth week…you better be saving some strength up for me."

Daryl didn't miss a beat, "No, you need to be saving your strength up for me. Hunter is going to have an overnight with her Auntie's." And with that they drove home. The days couldn't pass by fast enough for either one of them.


	30. Chapter 30

***** I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD**** (just in case anyone was wondering)**

**So here is chapter 30. This is a sad and somewhat dark chapter. It goes into detail about some of the abuse that Daryl had suffered. So if you have any type of abuse trigger, you might want to skip it. There isn't any sexual abuse or rape...I have seen that in some stories that discuss Daryl's past, but I couldn't bring myself to go there.**

**Thanks again for all the peeps who have been kind enough to review. They help me so much with developing this story. **

**If you like the story please leave a quick or detailed review to let me know how I am doing. I am trying to write this as realistic as possible, but I am not sure if people think it is or not. **

**Have a great evening...one week from Christmas!**

**Thanks-**

**Missy **

**XXOO**

They got back home and Anna fed Hunter before Daryl took her from her mother and cuddled her close to him. "She is such an angel" he said to Anna, then turned to Hunter "Aren't you my sweet little girl? Huh? Daddy is never gonna let anything bad happen to you, and you will never have a boyfriend, not my little princess! You will always be daddy's little girl." He gushed over his new daughter. Anna's heart tugged at the scene before her.

Then he turned to Anna, "You know I really love your family, I ain't never had anything like that before. I lived a shit hole life before all of this you know. Why ain't you ever asked about my scars? You gotta wanna know about them don't ya?"

Anna thought before she responded, "Daryl we all have scars, some are mental and you can't see them, but you know they are there. I figured if you want to tell me about them, you would when you trusted me enough to do so."

Daryl slid his shirt off and pointed to a faded criss-cross of a scar on his shoulder and then began to speak, "I don't remember a whole lot about my mom. I know my pa loved her, and they used to have a good time together. They were young when they got married. My pa liked to drink and party and fight. He got Ma to drink right along with him. They would party hard and fight hard. I look back at it now and guess she was an alcoholic."

He then continued, "She would drink wine each day starting around ten in the morning, and then be on her second bottle by lunch time. She would usually hang out in her room and watch her soaps while chain smoking her Virginia slims. One afternoon while I was out playing, she passed out and caught the bed on fire. She apparently never woke up and burned up right there and then."

Anna gasped as Daryl once again continued to tell the story, "Well something in my pa snapped that day. Red Cross located us to a dump hotel. I was about seven at the time. Merle was about fifteen and I ain't sure where he was, my guess was at a juvenile detention center somewhere up state, anyhow, I was fidgeting around the room and Pa just lost it. He jerked me up and started telling me it was my fault my ma was dead. Said that if I hadn't been out playing she wouldn't have died. He then ripped the phone wires out of the wall and beat me good. This scar here on my shoulder is where the metal broke through and ripped me open. This was the first one I remember getting from him."

Anna reached out and touched the scar. She thought he was done, but he was starting to let the stories flow now. She knew this was hard for him, but she felt like this was something he wanted to do.

He then slid his pants down slightly exposing his hipbone. There she saw a horrible puckering of the skin. It almost looked like a burn wound. He then started to speak again. "Got this when I was fourteen. My pa was making fun of me something awful. Kept calling me a pussy and said I was gay. Said I couldn't have been his son and that my mom must have been whoring around. Well I lost it when he said that and told him to fuck off and that I didn't have to put up with his shit anymore. He then told me that I had his name and he was gonna mark me so everyone would know. He jumped on top of me and held me down. He then pulled out the clothes iron and set it on my hip. It smelled something awful and hurt like nothin ever had. I passed out."

Anna could hardly believe what he was telling her. He then added, "The damn thing got infected and I got real sick. Missed at least a week of school cuz I could barely got out of bed. And of course the bastard wouldn't take me to a doctor. Told me to man up and prove I was a Dixon."

Anna was beside herself with grief at this point. She couldn't even fathom doing this to anyone, let alone a child, and your own child at that. Daryl's father sounded like a monster. She imagined if Marco had children that he would be the same way. She wanted to take him in her arms and just love the anguish away, but she knew he wasn't done.

He then took his wrists and showed them to her. "Oh God" she thought, "he must have tried to kill himself," she said to herself.

"When I was seventeen, I had quit school so I could get a job to pay the bills. Pa had taken the money to pay the light bill, but stopped by the bar on the way to the pay station. Needless to say, we didn't have any electric shortly there after. I confronted the old man about it and he told me to mind my own fucking business. He then commenced to calling me a loser, and various other things. Now I flew hot when he did this because I had been bustin my ass for next to no pay so we could at least have heat and watch t.v, or something. Well he told me I was soft, and I lost it and began wailing on him. I knew I caught him off guard an got in a few good licks."

Daryl then sighed and took paused before he started again, "It didn't last long. He had me down on my back and then proceeded to beat me, but he couldn't stop there. He then got some wire and wrapped it around my wrists, said something about teaching me a lesson about raising my hands to him. Then he dragged me out of the house by the wire now wrapped around my wrists. Just dragging me that way with my body weight alone was cutting them pretty good, but he wasn't done. He threw me in the truck and drove me out into the woods. He stripped me naked and left me bound up to a tree for two days. No Food, and no water. It was damn close to a hundred degrees and the mosquitoes were something awful. The worse damn thing was I lost my damn job for not reporting to work."

By now Daryl was shaking and he had tears in his eyes. His voice was barely above a whisper. He was purging years of built up anger and abuse to her. Anna refused to stop him; he needed this and she wasn't going to take it from him.

He spoke again, she could then tell by the way he took a breath that he was going to reveal even more hurt. "On my eighteenth birthday the old man insisted on taking me to a bar, back then you could drink at eighteen. I thought maybe he was finally gonna give me a proper night. I couldn't have been more wrong. We were there and he was drinking Tequila. He started going off on me in front of every one. Said I had a small dick, that he was pretty sure I was gay, couldn't hold a job, and was just overall worthless."

She could no longer hold in her tears, but allowed him to continue. "Tried to get a whore to take me out and 'make a man out of me', I didn't want to mess with her ugly disease ridden ass and told her to get off me. He dragged me out the back alley and once again stripped me naked. He wanted to humiliate me the worse way possible. He beat me with a belt, and the buckle side was outward, and didn't stop. I was unconscious and he continued to go at me. It was so bad that the police were called and I was carted off in an ambulance. They wanted me to press charges, but I didn't, I was just done with him after that."

She wiped a tear that was streaming down his cheek. He almost tensed up at her touch. He didn't want to associate tenderness and love with such horrible darkness that he had kept locked up for so long.

"Do you want to continue? I'm not pushing you, I only want you to tell me if you feel like you can." Anna told him.

He nodded, "Yeah, I gotta get this out or its gonna eat me up."

"Alright baby, no matter what, I love you, and I always will." She said, trying to be supportive. She didn't think she had ever met anyone who had gone through such and ordeal, and actually survived.

"When I was released from the hospital I had nothing. I had a truck and forty bucks. I didn't ever go back to the house. I slept in the truck and washed up in gas station bathrooms. I managed to get a job as a framer. It was tough work, but I actually liked it."

She was glad to hear at least that he had been strong enough to get away from his dad. He then went on, "Merle had just got out after one of his stints in prison. He loved his drugs and had hooked up with a coke-snorting prostitute named Tonya. They were both pretty disgusting, and I am pretty sure she was the one who kept giving him the clap, but they did let me stay on the couch at her ratty apartment until I had enough saved to rent a crappy trailer."

He hadn't told her much about Merle, but she suspected he was more than just a little rough around the edges. "Anyhow, this trailer was about a mile off the road down a muddy path. It was damn near falling apart, but I could afford it and it was away from everything. To me it was perfect and it was mine."

"I lived there alone up until all Hell broke loose. Merle was the only one who would come visit, and that was only if he needed cash or a place to crash. I continued to work construction, and I was really good at building. I actually fixed up the dump and made it a decent place."

She could see his eyes soften a bit and she could tell he had been proud of what he had done. "I would hunt. At first it was just because I couldn't afford a lot of groceries, but then it became something that I truly enjoyed. I felt so free in the woods, no one there to judge me. And there was a sense of accomplishment preparing a meal knowing you had tracked it down for your survival."

She took the opportunity to then ask him a question, "Daryl, did you have many friends?"

He laughed a little, "Nah, My dad pretty much prevented that from ever happening. I think all the shit he would say about me had people convinced I was a freak or gay or something that was less than desirable. I had spent so much time trying to just protect myself from him that I sucked at social graces. I guess you could kinda pick up on that, and I am much better than I used to be."

She patted him on the arm, "your fine, but considering all you have told me, you have done amazingly well. I am surprised you aren't a serial killer. But what did you do for companionship? You had to have been incredibly lonely."

He smiled, "Had a bunch of mutts that kept me company. I'd train em up and take em hunting with me. Dogs are always loyal and loved ya no matter what you looked like or where you lived. That was pretty much my life from age eighteen until the apocalypse. If things got really hard on me, I would just drink, did a lot of that. Southern comfort was called that for a reason. It was what I did to comfort myself."

He said one last thing, as he looked her in the eyes, "I don't want to live that lonely life no more. I want to be a better person, and you make me a better person."

Anna held back the tears that were threatening to break loose, "I don't pity you Daryl Dixon, but I am angry. Angry that someone as loving as you had to endure that type of life. But that man is dead. You are like the Phoenix that has risen from the Ashes of your previous world. I admire you."

She then handed Hunter to him, and took his and Hunter's hands and put them in hers. "This is all that matters now. Family. Our Family. Your Family"


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey Guys...Chapter 31. I'm still rolling here. Scary things ahead. Since it is the holidays, I think I am going to work Christmas into this story a bit. When you get to the end of this chapter, don't panic.**

**Take care and have a great evening...**

**Love all of you and thanks for all the awesomeness you have shown me.**

**Missy**

**XXOO**

That night when Daryl and Anna went to sleep, it was Anna who held Daryl in her arms. When they woke up the next morning, Daryl had lightness to him that he hadn't had before. It was like today was the first day of a new life. He no longer had a burden to keep to himself. He now had a partner to share his life with and he never thought he felt so free.

"Hey, you know next week is Christmas." Anna Said.

"Yeah, you think Santa is going to come visit us?" He quipped.

"No, and Hunter is much to young for Santa anyway." She missed Daryl's attempt at humor. "However, my Aunts always insist on having a huge meal…"

Daryl replied, "Don't they always? Jesus I am gonna weigh four-hundred pounds if they keep feeding me the way they did yesterday."

Anna spoke again, "…As I was saying, they always have a huge meal and then they have a private family equivalent of Mass. Don't forget, that we are Italian, and it means a lot to all of them to have some sort of communion."

Daryl thought for a minute, "Communion, like with wine and shit? I ain't never been to church and I ain't Catholic."

"Well you wouldn't have to take the Eucharist, but I am sure they would want you there. I was thinking we could have a little dedication service for Hunter. Christmas day would be a perfect time to do that." She said.

"Shit, you really believe there is a God that would let all this happen?" Daryl asked.

"Actually, I do. I wouldn't force my beliefs on you, but thought for Hunter's sake we could do it. We can let her choose her own beliefs when she gets older. But we could have the dedication just in case, and it would mean a lot to my Aunts' and Uncles'" She said.

"Look, I don't really know what I believe. I didn't exactly grow up around that stuff. But it seems to mean a lot to you and to your family, so I am fine with it."

"Thank you baby!" She said and gave him a peck on the forehead. "And one other thing…" She said.

He Groaned.

"They make a big deal about this, so they will want us dressed really nice."

"I ain't wearing a fucking suit. Nope, not Daryl Dixon." He said adamantly.

"I didn't say you had to wear a suit, but maybe something that has sleeves and no holes in your britches. Would that work for you?" She asked.

"If I can find something. Doubt I have anything that meets them standards." He said.

She went over to him and pulled on the waistband of his pants so she could see the tag inside. "Don't worry about it. I got it covered," she said.

He moaned again. "Great, can't wait." He said sarcastically. No telling what she was going to try to get him to wear.

She just smiled at him and he huffed in defeat.

She made him breakfast and then he went and got his crossbow. He hadn't used it in a while but wanted to go hunting so that he could start building up their meat supply. He threw on an old camouflage jacket he had and headed out.

"Wait Daryl, take the radio with you." She said.

"Yeah, right forgot about that. Make sure you keep yours on. What are you gonna do while I'm gone? I don't want you leaving."

"I'm not. Vi and Isabella are coming down to see the baby. You be careful out there so you can hurry home to me. Got it?" She said.

"Yup! See ya soon. Love ya girl" and he gave her a sweet kiss.

Anna thought to herself that all these sweet kisses were nice, but she was really starting to want more. She wanted a lot more. These six weeks couldn't end quickly enough. She was gonna plan an evening that he would never forget, and since her Aunt's were so interested in her non-existent sex life, she was going to get some ideas from them. Probably the biggest mistake ever, but whom else would she talk to about this stuff?

Daryl was amazed at how good it felt to be out in the woods again hunting. He loved the solitude of being in the woods. It always gave him proper time to think and clear his head. He had cocked the bow back and actually struggled slightly, noticing he had lost a lot of strength in his arms. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this out of shape. Between being injured, and then having conveniences that he didn't even have before the world collapsed, he had let himself actually go a bit soft. He wasn't going to let this happen anymore. He had to be strong, especially now that he had his family to protect. All of them.

He was outside of the fenced in part of the property and spotted a large turkey. His mouth watered just thinking about how good the bird would taste. He released his bolt and it sailed smoothly through the turkey's head. He forgot how good the rush felt from killing game. It was a mixture of both sport and survival and he couldn't think of too many things that provided that much satisfaction.

He spent another two hours hunting and managed to get a second turkey, four rabbits, and six squirrels. He also found some edible wild mushrooms that they could use to cook with. He was impressed with the amount of wildlife there was up here in the mountains. He also knew that there were many streams filled with trout that he could attempt to catch. He had never been much of a fisherman, but had noticed Gus had a lot of fly fishing equipment in the basement, and he could always try to learn how to use it.

As he was heading back to the house he spotted something he didn't want to see. Footprints, and they were human, not Walker. He crouched down to inspect them and determined they had been made sometime in the last two days, and there were four separate prints. He tracked them and the led straight up to the fence on an obscured part of the property. Someone had been watching them and he hadn't been aware. His heart started beating faster and he suddenly wanted to check on Anna, but he didn't want to alarm her.

He cued up the radio and made a call to Marty and Joe.

"Marty or Joe-you there?" he said.

Almost immediately Joe replied back, "Yeah Daryl. Everything OK?"

He didn't know how to reply without sending a red flag to Anna, whom he was sure was listening. "Yeah, need your help with tracking some tricky game. Seems they have been wandering around the fences. Can I meet y'all down at your house in about thirty minutes? Get your ATV's." He hoped they would catch on that he wasn't talking about hunting.

There was a pause, then he heard Joe's voice on the radio again, "Copy that. See you in thirty." Whether they picked up on his concern or not he wasn't sure, but Joe didn't ask any questions.

Daryl walked in the house and dropped the game on the table. The Aunts were visiting with Anna and were quite excited about the fresh game before them. Viv spoke up first, "Oh Daryl, these are beautiful. We heard you on the radio say you were tracking some more, so go meet up with our boys and we will take care of these."

He was actually impressed, but concerned they wouldn't know how clean the kills. "Y'all know what to do with these? If not, stick em in the freezer and I will take care of 'em later." He said.

Isabella replied, "Daryl, what type of Italian women would we be if we couldn't butcher meat? We would shame our culture if we couldn't."

He hadn't thought that maybe they had been brought up old-school Italian. He had assumed with the hair, make-up, and boob jobs that these ladies were used to being pampered. But then again, they did have husbands with mob connections, so they must have been a lot tougher than they looked.

Daryl left and Anna's aunts both began schooling her in the art of butchering wild game. She was amazed at how these well kept ladies both rolled up their sleeves and dug right into the animals. The ripped, pulled, gutted, plucked, cleaned, and then filleted the animals with precision. They were covered in muck up to their elbows and grinned like children. Anna tried hard not to get sick. But she was making notes of every step that they followed. They left her a squirrel and a rabbit to butcher on her own. She took a deep breath and then followed the steps she had just been taught. She gagged a few times, but she got through the process and her aunt's complimented her on her precision. She thought Daryl would be quite proud of her.

"Listen lady bug" her Aunt Vi began, "You wanna keep that man of yours, then you need to let us school you in how it is done. We have both managed to keep your uncles happy for over thirty years and have learned a lot of tricks along the way. Men love it when you can do things for yourself. You can be a lady in public, a woman in the house, and a whore in bed. You get those three things down and that man of yours will never even think about another woman. You hear me?"

Anna nodded. Their advice was crass, but she knew that they had managed to keep her uncles happy after all these years, so they must have known what they were talking about. Her mom even had some of the same qualities, just in a more subtle way.

"Now you tell us what you got planned for next week when you will be free to enjoy your man." Isabella inquired.

Anna just shook her head and turned about three shades of red. She knew this was coming….

Daryl met up with the men and filled them in on what he had seen. Neither man was happy to know that someone had managed to get past them and that close to the property. The decided that they would go around and survey each of the properties perimeters. They needed to determine if any of the areas had been breached. Thankfully the fences appeared to do their job. Gus had them built with some type of alloy metal that was almost impossible to get through, even with bolt cutters. It didn't mean they were impenetrable, but it would be difficult and you would have to have military like experience to do it.

They opted to stay together just in case someone was waiting on them for an ambush. Fortunately they didn't find any other signs around the other property. Daryl guessed that the idiots either hadn't discovered that the second house was currently occupied, or they were just not able to scale the cliff the house was built on.

Marty spoke, "Why don't we go back, and then you can gather up Anna and the baby and come stay with us until we get this all settled?"

Daryl really liked the privacy that he and Anna had together, but he knew Marty was right. They would be safer together as one group. He nodded at them both and then said, "Alright. I will send Anna down with the ladies and I will secure the place and gather up some things and head down with the truck."

Joe slapped Daryl on the back. "Perfect. We got some prime Scotch and Cuban cigars to share. We are gonna make you one of us before it all said and done."

Daryl laughed at him. Who would ever think Daryl Dixon would drink Scotch and smoke Cuban cigars?

He headed back up to the house and told Anna and the ladies the plans. He let them know what they had found and that the men had determined it was safer to be together. Viv and Isabella thought it was wonderful. They always loved to be around a big family, so this was feeding into their loving nature.

Anna packed up the personal items and baby things that they would need and then headed with her Aunts back to their house.

Daryl went through the house and secured it. He gathered up his crossbow and a few other weapons "just in case" and then threw a pack of smokes into his jacket. He figured that the men would be congregating alone and he could enjoy a cigarette.

He had been thinking all day about what Anna had discussed with him regarding a baby dedication service for Hunter. With Christmas day being next week and it being such a special holiday, he did agree that it would be a perfect time to say some special words and then have some blessings said over his daughter. It also had him thinking about a few other things. He was gonna have to talk to the Uncles about some of his ideas. He actually had something in mind for a Christmas gift for his beloved Anna.

Daryl locked the final gate and headed down the road towards the other house. Out of the corner of his eye he caught something moving quickly across the road. He slammed the truck into park and jumped out, taking a rifle with him as he quickly pursued the movement. Before he could react he felt himself grabbed from behind and someone began to wrestle him to the ground. The rifle was knocked from his hands and he was struggling to grasp what was going on. He finally managed to grab his rifle and fire at the person who attacked him. They fell dead immediately to the ground. He stood up to get closer to the body and felt himself stumble. Damn he was out of shape, but for some reason he was having a hard time functioning. He suddenly felt warmth encompass him and realized he had a hunting knife sticking out of his belly. " Shit, not again" he said to himself as he crawled his way to the truck.

Anna heard Daryl's truck pull up and went out to meet him. When she saw his face, his expression didn't look normal. He opened the door and fell out of the truck onto the driveway. "Sorry Anna, they got me. I don't think I'm gonna make it this time." He crumpled into a heap and Anna screamed for her family.

**Ha...another cliffhanger...Please Review for me...Thank you all!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Early update for the day. Too much to do tonight to do any writing. I am by no means a medical expert, but I did google a few things regarding stomach wounds. Hope you enjoy.**

*****DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD OR DARYL DIXON...Damnit!*****

**Have a great day y'all!**

Marty, Joe, and Viv rushed out of the house. Isabella stayed with the baby. They saw Anna cradling Daryl's lifeless body in her lap. Viv ran over first to assess the situation. She saw a large hunting knife protruding from Daryl's stomach.

"Boys, get him in the house and get him upstairs." She said.

"Anna, you go take over for Isabella and care for the baby. Tell Isabella to get the medical kit and meet me upstairs. Hurry…Now!" She bellowed. Vivianna had gone through this before. When your husband is a Made man you learn how to handle things on your own. She had no issues taking charge.

Anna had done exactly as she was told. She wanted to be with Daryl, but knew her aunt's had been much better prepared to handle something like this. Hell, she wasn't even sure if Daryl was still alive at this point. How many times could he keep receiving these serious injuries and survive?

She suddenly felt a pang of guilt. If she had never brought him here then this wouldn't have happened to him. Maybe she should encourage him to return to the prison where he wouldn't feel as obligated to protect someone as fiercely as he protected her. She would rather him be alone and have him alive then be with him and have him die for her. She had gone through it once and didn't think she could bear it again.

Marty and Joe carried Daryl to the upstairs bedroom and gently laid him on the bed. He had not moved or made any type of sound that would let them know if he was alive. Viv pushed the men aside roughly and ripped his shirt off. Isabella searched for a pulse. Daryl was bleeding profusely and if he was still alive he was at an immediate risk of bleeding out.

Isabella couldn't find a pulse. She looked up warily at Viv. She was about to say he was dead when she suddenly felt the faintest pulse in his wrist. She realized that he had a lot of scar tissue build up over his pulse point and assumed it was making it harder to detect.

"I've got a pulse. It's erratic, but it is there." She told Viv.

"Good" Viv replied. "Joe, have you drank any alcohol tonight?" She asked.

Joe replied, "Not yet. You need me?"

"Yep, you ain't drinking for a while. Roll up your sleeve. You're donating blood tonight." Viv commanded. Joe was a blood type of O negative, which meant he could donate universally.

Anna was standing in the doorway of the room watching everything that was going on. She was amazed at the composure that each of them held. She never knew the exact details of what their life in Boston had been like, but she was starting to see glimpses of it. She assumed that one or both of the men had sustained serious injuries while involved with questionable activities and probably hadn't been able to get medical care without the risk of prison. She had never been so glad in her life that her Uncle's were mobsters.

Daryl was slowly starting to come too. Viv hollered at Marty to be prepared to hold him down. She still had to get the knife out and it was absolutely critical that Daryl not move a muscle while she did it. She wasn't sure if the knife had punctured any organs and if it hadn't she didn't want to risk doing so while removing it.

Daryl was moaning in pain. Anna knew he had to be in agony and she could hardly bear to watch what was going on. Isabella had a blood pressure cup on him by now and was taking his vitals. His pressure was dangerously low as a result of the blood loss. Viv didn't want to start the transfusion until she had removed the knife. She slipped on some rubber gloves and swabbed betadine over his entire stomach area. The cold and burning sensation caused Daryl to writhe in pain. Viv hollered at him,

"Damnit Daryl, don't you fucking move. Do you hear me? You hold on and don't move a goddamn inch. You got my niece and your daughter to think about." She commanded. Viv could be a tough bitch if she needed to be.

With just the slightest bit of a murmur he acknowledged her directions.

"Ok Marty, on the count of three I am going to pull this son of a bitch out." Marty nodded that he was ready. Isabella grabbed his legs. She had set up the transfusion kit so that they could immediately begin the transfusion when the knife came out.

Viv began counting, "One…two…three…" and she pulled the knife straight out of his stomach.

Daryl screamed but didn't move. He passed out from the pain, which Anna thought was a silent blessing. Red blood gushed from the wound, but it wasn't bright and it wasn't dark, which was a good indication that the knife had not hit any vital organs. Viv prayed that she was right in her assumption.

She then cleaned his wound thoroughly, stitched it up tightly, and then dressed it with moist bandages. She told Anna that they were going to have to watch for bruising under the skin and check for any type of infection or draining.

They began the transfusion and she opted to have Joe give him two pints of blood. "Joe, you are gonna have to stay on the straight and narrow for a few days. I may need you to do this again in twenty four hours, do you hear me?"

Joe replied, "Anything for the boy."

Viv then addressed everyone, "If he makes it through the night that will be a good sign. His vitals are weak. His body has been through a lot of trauma in a short period of time and he still hasn't fully recuperated from his last injury. Does this man have a death wish?" She looked at Anna.

"He is trying to protect us. I should have never brought him here. He is gonna get himself killed because of me, and I can't live with myself if that happens. I have already lost one man I love and I can't do it again." She dropped to the floor and began crying.

Marty ran over to her and scooped her up. "Hush darling. He would be angry if he heard you talk like that. He loves you and caring for you is what keeps him going. Don't ever say anything like that again."

She looked at her uncle and tearfully and dutifully shook her head, "OK."

That night the family kept a vigil around Daryl. Her Aunts brought in their Rosaries and prayed. Then they prayed to every Patron Saint of healing that they could think of. Anna was in and out of the room alternating between tending to Hunter and then just holding Daryl's hand. The more she thought about the circumstances of the day, the more she became angry.

The vigil continued for two days. Daryl didn't really wake up, but he was still alive. Viv wasn't sure if he was unconscious or in a coma. He opened his eyes a few times but there was absolutely no recognition in them. There was just the slightest hint of a response when Anna would stroke his hand or face, but other than that there wasn't anything.

On the third day Anna was awoken when someone touched her hand. She was physically and emotionally exhausted but refused to leave his side. She opened her eyes to see his beautiful blue eyes looking at her. He couldn't really speak, and he seemed confused, but he managed to croak out the word "Water".

"Viv, come quick" Anna shouted.

Viv and Isabella came running into the room with their husbands behind them.

"Viv, he wants water, can we give him some?" Anna inquired.

Viv checked his wound and it looked like it was healing. There wasn't any bruising around the wound or under the skin, which probably meant that he most likely didn't have any internal bleeding.

"I think he is good. Marty go get him a glass and a pitcher of water." Viv said authoritatively.

Marty returned and Anna helped Daryl sip the water. She had to make sure that he didn't drink too fast so that he wouldn't get sick. He still could barely speak, but he had a thankful look on his face for the precious water that Anna was giving to him.

He didn't stay awake for long. He eased back into the pillows and went back into a deep sleep. Viv checked his vital signs and they had improved vastly. She was amazed at how strong this man was. After checking his vitals she took the opportunity to change his dressings and clean the wound. There wasn't any sign of infection or fever and she felt pretty confident that he was turning the corner.

"Joe, If you are up to it, can we hook you up and give him another pint of blood? I think one more transfusion will get him well on the road to recovery." She inquired.

He didn't even say anything. He rolled up his sleeve and sat down beside the bed while Isabella hooked him up to Daryl. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do to help this man recover so that he could start enjoying his time with Anna and their baby.

Later that day Daryl woke up again. His color had started to return and Anna had figured that Viv had made a good call with the getting Daryl the additional transfusion. Once again she helped him slowly sip some water. She knew he had to be hungry, but Viv had said that he could only have clear liquids for the next two days. They opted to give him some Pedialyte that they had gathered on an earlier run for baby supplies. It wasn't much, but would give Daryl some type of nourishment.

Marty and Joe helped Daryl get out of bed so that he could relieve himself. It was slow going, but Daryl was insistent on doing it himself. The man had a stubborn streak a mile wide. It was probably why he was still alive. Just that small trip completely exhausted Daryl.

Anna still had not brought Hunter in to see Daryl. She didn't want him exerting himself just yet. He was still barely speaking and she knew that he would want to hold the baby. It was probably selfish on her part, but right now all she could manage to think about was Daryl getting better.

Once again Daryl went back to sleep. This time it appeared to be a much more peaceful sleep and his facial features had become more relaxed. Anna couldn't help but take a deep breath in relief.

She went down to the kitchen where her family was eating dinner. She realized she hadn't eaten hardly anything in a couple of days and was suddenly famished. Isabella put a plate down in front of her and she began to eat greedily. Marty was holding his Grand Niece and bouncing her on his knee. Anna admired how loving the man was. She missed her dad but was so happy that she at least had her extended family with her right now. They had saved Daryl's life and they were just as hell bent on revenge as She and Daryl were.

Viv spoke up, "So sweetie, I'm gonna ask you a question. What do you plan on doing to these bastards that did this to Daryl?"

"What do you mean Aunt Viv?" she asked.

"I mean we make people who threaten us pay. Especially for what they have done to your man, OUR family." She said.

She got the meaning of what Viv was saying. Revenge, not just revenge, Hell Fire and Brimstone Vengeance.

"I will kill them." Anna said.

She then looked at them all and said, "Teach me. I want to go with you when you attack these Assholes. I want to learn to be stronger, faster, and much more stealth. They have taken everything from me I love. It stops now."

Isabella spoke up. "Good girl…we start training in the morning. No more sitting back and letting the men only be the ones to shoulder the burden."

Uncle Joe spoke next, "It's time you learn the secrets of how this family operates against those who attempt to do us harm."

Marty spoke next. "You my dear are a Martinelli. No more time for coddling. You take your anger and turn it into strength. No one can defeat us when we band together! Now go upstairs and be with your man. Tomorrow is a new day and new stage in your life."

Anna thought to herself that McGrady hadn't seen anything compared to the fury of her family that was about to reign down on them.

**Please don't forget to review. I only know what you think if you let me know! So review, review, review, and review again!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Some interesting family bonding time in this chapter...**

They weren't kidding about training beginning the next morning.

Anna had woken up beside Daryl and smiled as he slept calmly. She was thankful that it looked like he was once again going to recover fine. Her aunts had worked a miracle and saved his life. Daryl had come uncovered from his blankets throughout the night and she quietly re-covered him and gave him a gentle kiss. She really wanted to scoop him up in her arms and never let him go, but he needed rest so that he could continue to heal.

Hunter needed to be fed and changed, so Anna took care of the baby first thing. Her daughter was absolutely beautiful. She was hoping that her aunts were still planning on the family Christmas tradition in a couple of days. She didn't know why, but she would feel better knowing that Hunter had received the blessings of her faith. Whether God still or ever existed, she didn't know, but in her mind he did, and that was good enough for her.

Vivianna had made breakfast that morning. Normally she would have laid out a lavish spread, but this morning she had opted to simply make a basket of blackberry muffins. Anna had to admit that they were probably some of the best muffins she had ever had. Her aunts were unbelievable in the kitchen. They had made a point to holding on to Italian family traditions. These ladies kept their vanity and the luxuries of the modern world yet still managed to hold on to the traditional role of Italian women.

Isabella spoke up, "Anna, I am watching Hunter today. First things first, you need to make sure that Daryl drinks the protein drink we have prepared for him. He can probably go back on some light solid foods tomorrow, but we do not want him getting sick. Vomiting with a healing wound in your gut is less than an ideal situation." Anna nodded in agreement.

Then Joe spoke, "So here is the plan today. Your Uncle Marty and I are going to take you with us into the woods. We are going to teach you some things we have learned over the years on what it is like to be "stealth" as you put it last night."

And then Marty chimed in, "Since Joe is still a little weak from his blood donation, I am going to work with you on some combat skills. I know you can swing a bat like a champ, so I am thinking we can start there. OK sweetheart?"

Anna chuckled to herself at the fact that her Uncle was talking to her about learning hand to hand combat and then finishes up the sentence with the term "sweetheart".

Anna went upstairs to check on Daryl and bring him his liquid breakfast. He was still sound asleep and she didn't want to wake him. She set the breakfast down on the night table beside the bed and placed her hand on his cheek. He looked like an angel when he slept. His color was good and she was thankful that she hadn't lost him. She was determined to become stronger so that she didn't need him to continue risking his life to protect her. She wanted to be strong and she wanted to be his partner. Her aunts and her mother were their husband's strongest allies. This was what Anna wanted to be to Daryl.

She didn't have the heart to wake him up so she opted to write him a quick note

Daryl love-

_I have gone to spend some time with Uncle Joe and Uncle Marty. You looked too perfect while sleeping and you need your rest. I need you strong again and I want to be strong for you as well. I have fallen deeply in love with you and I never want you to suffer again. I have a feeling you are going to have some company from my Aunts today, so enjoy them and know that they love you like family. I am sure Hunter would love to see her daddy today as well._

_Love eternally-_

_Anna-XXOO_

_P.S. I long for the time soon where we can give ourselves to each other completely. So make sure you heal up quick._

She took the note and folded it up and placed it on the pillow beside him. She wasn't sure how long she was going to be gone with her uncles, but being able to be back with him would make the absence worth every second.

When Daryl woke up he was alone. He wasn't sure what time it was, but he had an incredible urge to relieve himself and was going to have to manage to get up on his own. He figured that the easiest way to do it was one step at a time. So he first sat straight up. That was simple enough. Then he pivoted himself around and placed his feet on the floor…so far so good. The next move proved to be a lot more difficult than he expected. The movement of actually standing up was painful. He knew that he had torn muscles in his abdomen, but what he didn't realize was just how much he used those muscles in simple movements. He let out a gasp, but struggled through the pain and got himself up.

It took him a second to realize that he was only in his boxers. He assumed that with all the ladies tending to him that they had pretty much seen everything he had to offer, so he just shrugged and didn't bother to attempt to find anything to cover himself up. After all, they were all adults.

He slowly made his way down the hall to the bathroom and took care of business. He took a look at himself in the mirror and could see that his entire lower torso was wrapped in bandages. He had dark circles under his eyes and was still a bit paler than he normally was. He now had Joe's blood coursing through his veins and figured if that didn't make them family, nothing would. Daryl was forty-three years old and today he felt sixty. He made a mental note that he would focus on getting himself back in shape as soon as humanely possible. This being weak shit was for the birds. Merle would be disappointed in him for allowing himself to be so vulnerable.

He ran into Isabella in the hallway on his way back to the room.

"Well good morning baby boy." She said.

"It's good to see you up and in all your Glory" she joked.

Daryl turned no less than three shades of red. "Morning" he grumbled.

"Vivianna is going to come check on you in a bit. I am going to go get the baby and bring her in to see her daddy, are you up for that?"

"Course. An um…thanks for everything. I mean it." He said. She walked over to him and gave him a pat on the shoulder and a kiss on the cheek.

"We look after own loved ones. We are your family now, and don't you ever forget it!" She winked at him and continued down the hallway.

When he got back to the room he looked around to take an inventory to see if their belongings were in there. He found the bags that Anna had packed and pulled out a clean white T-shirt that still had the sleeves attached and pulled it on. The least he could do was cover himself up partially. He didn't feel like fighting with a pair of jeans so he simply crawled back into bed and pulled the covers back up. He noticed the folded piece of paper on Anna's pillow and picked it up and read it.

He was touched by her words. He especially liked the word "eternally". This was forever and they both knew it.

Isabella came in with Hunter. She gently handed the baby over to him, letting him get in a comfortable position before she handed him the baby. She didn't want Daryl to have to stretch any more than needed. She knew he had to be hurting from all the muscle damage the knife wound had inflicted upon him.

Hunter cooed as Daryl talked to her softly. He ran his fingertips gently across her face and blew little kisses on her belly. Isabella was taken with how tender Daryl was with the little girl. It reminded her of many years earlier when her big surly husband Joe would play with their little son. It seemed the tougher the man the softer he was with his children.

Shortly after Daryl had begun to play with his little girl, Viv came into the room and sat down in one of the big plush chairs that sat in the corner. She noticed that the protein drink was still sitting on the bedside table and began to speak.

"That is your breakfast sitting on the table over there. You need it so you can get your electrolytes back in order."

"Yes ma'am. I promise to eat all my vegetables too." He joked.

"Seriously Daryl, you need to drink it. If you can keep everything down today we will start you on soft foods tomorrow and have you graduated up to a feast on Christmas." Viv replied.

"Yeah, I was meaning to talk to you about Christmas. I got something planned, but I need both of you ladies to help me out with it."

Both ladies were taken by the fact that Daryl was asking for their help.

"I wanna marry Anna proper like." He began. Viv and Isabella lit up like Christmas trees.

He continued, "I don't have a present to give her for Christmas, and with me being out of commission for a while, I think a wedding might be a nice gift. Viv can you hand me the black bag over there in the corner?"

Viv retrieved the bag and placed it on the bed beside Daryl. He handed Hunter to Viv in exchange. He ruffled through the bag and pulled out a box.

"I never got to ask Gus's permission for Anna's hand, but I think he suspected." He opened the box and showed the ladies two gold bands and a diamond ring.

"He gave me this a few days before he died. These are His and Ava's rings. He told me I would know what to do with them. To me, they are better than anything I could get at a jewelry store because I know how much Gus and Ava loved each other and this is a symbol of that love."

Isabella was crying already and the wedding hadn't even happened yet. She spoke through her tears, "Oh Daryl, it's absolutely perfect. This would make them so proud. Anything you need let us know and we will help."

"Well it means a lot to Anna to have the baby blessed, so I figure we could do that Christmas morning. Then I figured that later on we could make an excuse to go visit Gus and Ava's grave. I want to marry her there at sunset. Do you think y'all could fix the area up kinda pretty for me?" He asked.

"Don't you worry about a thing. It will be perfect. We will get Joe and Marty to help out too, and we will all make sure she doesn't figure out what is going on." Viv said.

Isabella then said, "Some of my son's clothes are still here in the house, and he is about your size. I am sure we have something appropriate that will fit you. I don't want you looking sloppy for your wedding. We can use the excuse that it is Christmas to explain you being dressed so nice and we can encourage Anna to doll herself up too. You haven't seen anything as beautiful as her when she is all made up Daryl. You are going to be a lucky man."

"I ain't wearing a suit." He said emphatically. What was it with these ladies trying to dress him up like a male model or something?

"She didn't say anything about a suit Daryl, but for God's sake just once you can dress like you didn't just roll out of a homeless shelter" Viv barked.

Daryl raised his hands in surrender. "OK, OK…you win."

Isabella left the room for a minute and then returned carrying a book.

"Here, this has helped Joe and I throughout the years and I know that you and Anna haven't been intimate yet…"

Once again the woman managed to embarrass Daryl beyond belief. These women had absolutely no shame.

Isabella continued on, "Now here, you do some reading and some resting. I'm taking Hunter and gonna put her down for a nap. Viv and I have a lot to do so you can have the perfect wedding in a few days!"

The both left the room in a whirlwind and he looked down at the book she gave him. The title was "The Art of Lovemaking…Tips and Techniques for Mind Blowing Sex." He groaned.

Yeah, these women had no shame.

**We are getting closer to Daryl and Anna "sealing the deal" so to speak. Hopefully nothing will happen to throw the wedding off track...You never know with those crazies in McGrady.**

**Please enjoy and leave me tons and tons of reviews. **

**Have a great day and I will get you another update tomorrow. **

**Hugs and Kisses to you all!**


	34. Chapter 34

**I want to give a special shout out to pantherbab4ever, DarylDixon'slover, and sillygabby for your faithful reviews. Also to all the guests who have left nice reviews, I do appreciate it bunches. Thanks for reading and I hope you are enjoying. **

**This chapter has a bit of Walker action. I totally suck at action scenes, so bear with me!**

As Anna and her Uncles were walking through the woods. It was quiet except for the sounds of their feet walking through the leaves.

Marty spoke, "OK, lesson one. This is not how we walk when we are trying to be unnoticed," He said to Anna.

She looked at him intently and nodded her head, "So how do you walk without being noticed?" She asked.

"Like this" he said. He picked his feet up lightly and walked by stepping down on the leaves and not through the leaves. He pressed each step softly down. There was no noise as he took about fifteen steps.

"Now you try it, look at your feet while you are doing it. Once you do it enough it will become second nature." Marty instructed.

She worked on trying to walk the way her Uncle had showed her. At first she looked awkward doing it because she kept picking up her feet like she was marching, but her uncles would make her stop and start all over again. After much practice she finally caught on how to handle her feet when she walked and they began to continue through the woods. If she started getting sloppy in her footsteps her uncles would stop and let her correct her gait.

They walked through the woods for a good two hours and they stumbled on the body of they man that Daryl had killed in his attack a few days earlier. Joe bent down to take a good look at the body and was disturbed by the fact that it was actually a teenage boy who had attacked Daryl.

"It seems that they will stoop at nothing when it comes to sending people out of their group. How could anyone allow someone so young to go out like this?" Joe said.

Marty then asked Anna a question; "Do you know who this boy is? I know you grew up in the area, maybe you recognize him from one of the families around here?"

"No Uncle Marty, he is a lot younger than I am. Maybe he has some I.D. on him or something." Anna replied.

They searched the body and sure enough Joe found a wallet. "Says his name is Wylie Simpkins, age seventeen, and he is from Laurel Springs."

"Shit, that says there are other people trying to find their way up here to get what we have. There are a lot of people in the area that knew my dad and knew he was well stocked. We may have bigger problems than the folks at McGrady." Anna said.

Marty added, "Laurel Springs is a good twenty five miles from here, that's a long way for someone to come just to loot a house. Makes me wonder what is going on in Laurel Springs to make people up and leave like this?"

Anna then asked, "Do you think we should go find out? We could take the Navigator and do some investigation? The only think I really knew about that place was it was a haven for Motorcycle enthusiasts, the roads were well known for their curves and the views they offered. But other than that, it was basically known for wineries and Christmas trees. It doesn't make sense that someone would want to leave there to come out here."

Joe then said, "Unless they were trying to get somewhere that they thought would be deserted."

Marty then spoke up; "I don't want to stir a bee's nest just yet. When Daryl is back at full capacity we can go do some reconnaissance, but I don't want to risk it with just the three of us. Let's focus on this McGrady situation for now. That is our primary concern."

Joe chimed in, "Consider that lesson two. Don't ever let yourself get distracted from the task at hand. Singular focus at all times. You want your mind sharp."

"Good point." Anna said.

They spent the rest of the morning into mid afternoon checking out the woods in the area. There were several footprints that they found that had been made recently and they all lead in the direction of Anna's parent's house. It made Anna shiver to think that they were being observed by outsiders and had been completely unaware.

They continued to follow the directions that the footprints came from, and sure enough, they led down into the direction of McGrady. She hoped that the kid from Laurel Springs was just a fluke, maybe he had gotten lost and accidentally wandered up onto the mountain.

About mid afternoon Joe suggested that they call it a day and that they would work on combat skills tomorrow. As they passed through the woods they came upon a clearing that gave them a view of the valley below. What they saw stopped them in their tracks. Walkers, and there were lots of them. If Anna had to guess she would say there were at least fifty.

They were ambling around at the base of the mountain. None of them were sure if they would be able to scale the steep hills and cliffs that led up the mountain, but they didn't want to take any chances. They were a good five miles from the house and they were on foot. Anna prayed that the walkers they saw below were the only walkers in the area. As long as the walkers were unable to make it up the hills, they would have plenty of time to get back to the safety of her uncle's home.

Marty commanded, "Go! Now! Weapons ready and no daydreaming. No telling if there are more of them or not."

Daryl was lying in bed reading the book that Isabella had given him. As embarrassed, as he was when she handed it to him, he was actually relieved that he had something for a sexual reference besides Merle. To hear Merle talk about his sexual escapades you would think he was a porn star.

The book had a bit of everything you could think of, including pictures. Daryl blushed as he thumbed through the pages of some of the more graphic photos. Hell, he would be happy if he could master just the basics. He understood the simple gist of how everything was supposed to work, but his biggest fear would be that Anna was left unsatisfied. He had decided to make this a homework project because Anna's pleasure was all he cared about at the present time. She had been kind enough to show him pleasure like he had never known on his birthday, and he wanted to do the same for her on their wedding night.

He was startled from his reading with a blood curdling scream and the sound of footsteps running through the house. He quickly pushed himself up off the pillows and forced himself to get quickly out of bed. He ignored the burning pain that shot through his abdomen and grabbed his crossbow. Daryl maneuvered through the house to the sounds of the screams.

Isabella had been the source of the panicked screams. The ladies were standing at the front door shouting in Italian. He pushed his way past them and froze at what he saw. The entire iron face was stacked three deep with walkers. The stench was overwhelming and the moans of the dead were deafening. Daryl and the ladies were safe since there wasn't any way that the geeks could get past the fence, but Marty, Joe, and Anna were outside somewhere and were in grave danger.

"We need to get the fence cleared. Show me what we have here for weapons and I am going to need both of y'all to help me. I don't want to use any guns unless we absolutely have too." Daryl said.

Viv jumped in, "Follow me, we got plenty of weapons down in the basement. If we need to use guns we do have silencers."

Daryl had pushed his pain down and would only let himself focus on getting Anna and her Uncles back safely. He followed Viv down to the basement. Similar to Gus, there was a huge locked and fortified room that was loaded down with weapons. He re-thought his no gun policy when he noticed that there were several sniper rifles that had silencers attached.

"Can you ladies shoot these things?" He asked Viv as he held up the rifles.

"Yes!" She said simply.

He handed her two and he himself took two rifles. He also grabbed some antique swords that were on the wall and an assortment of long bladed knives. He loaded up a military satchel with all the appropriate ammunition he could find. If needed, he could send one of the ladies down to retrieve more. Apparently these two women were well-versed in weapons. Nothing about these people shocked him anymore.

They ran back up to the front of the house and loaded up the rifles. Each one held a clip of ten and Daryl had ten clips. If they ran out then they could choose either to use the knives or the swords to continue to take out stragglers while someone could go back down in the basement and retrieve more ammunition.

Isabella noticed that Daryl was out of breath and bleeding through his shirt. She tried to bring it to his attention but he simply put his hand up and told her he would worry about it later. She was impressed with how self-sacrificing he was for people he loved.

"Ladies, aim for the brain. Take it slow and make each shot count." He instructed.

Viv responded curtly, "Daryl Dixon, don't tell me how to shoot. I was shooting a gun when you were in diapers."

"Yes Ma'am. Now lets go get these bastards." He said.

They all went at the fence with ferocity. The shots the women were taking were right on the mark. Daryl didn't think he had ever seen women as tough as these two. They worked in tandem and were having no problem clearing out the left side of the perimeter. He was having success on handling the right side of the perimeter. They had managed to kill the majority of the walkers with relative ease. They were down to about twenty walkers, but they were all on their last clip of ammunition.

They finished up the ammunition and then moved to the fence with the long bladed knives. Their close proximity to the dead riled them up like a nest of rattlesnakes. Mangled arms came at them as Viv, Isabella, and Daryl began stabbing them through the brains. The horrid sound of sucking that could be heard each time one of them impaled a walker.

Isabella was fighting with a particularly stubborn walker and was struggling to get access to the head when another walker grabbed her by the ankle through the fence. She tried to pull herself away, but was being drug back towards the fence. Viv and Daryl were so pre-occupied with the walkers that they were clearing that they didn't notice that Isabella was in trouble. They were all startled by the sound of a single gunshot.

The walkers stopped and started to move towards the sound of the shot, and to Daryl's horror he saw that it was Anna who had fired the shot to save her aunt. She was now the target of the remaining walkers and they were out of ammunition.

With every bit of energy that Daryl had left he climbed over the top of the gate to get to Anna. She had frozen when she saw about six walkers coming at her. The fresh scent of blood pouring out of Daryl's wound did indeed distract the walkers yet again, and now Daryl was the target. Marty and Joe just managed to catch up to everyone in time to put down the remaining walkers and save Daryl from certain death.

Daryl sunk down from exhaustion and pain, but was relieved that everyone appeared to have managed to survive. Anna gained her composure and her and her Uncles started checking to make sure that all the Walkers were indeed dead. Only a few showed any signs of not being dead, and Marty took care of them handedly. Daryl made a mental note never to fuck with these people. There was no way anyone of them would allow themselves to be defeated if the safety of their family were at stake.

Joe helped Daryl get up and pulled him back inside the gate. Anna and Marty followed behind. Viv was helping Isabella up towards the house. She had managed to sprain her ankle with the tussle with the walker, but other than that she was fine. Nothing like fine Italian leather boots to protect your lower legs.

They all entered into the house to the sounds of Hunter screaming. She had been left unattended in all the chaos and based on the sounds of the screams, she was starving. Anna ran to go feed hunter. Her swollen breasts needed the relief of nursing and Viv and Marty helped Daryl upstairs to check on his wounds.

When Anna was done with Hunter she went to check Daryl's status. He was sweaty and obviously uncomfortable, but based on the amount of complaining he was doing, she guessed he hadn't harmed himself too badly. Viv kept telling him to hold still and shut up while she was tending to his wounds.

Anna spoke, "Hey Mr. Dixon, stop being such a difficult patient! And the next time you even think about letting yourself become live bait I'm gonna shoot you in the ass for being an idiot."

"Well I was just protecting your beautiful ass sweetheart. I'd let a bear take me down if it meant you were gonna be safe." He said.

She knew he meant every word of what he said. "Well, I appreciate you knight in shining armor mentality, but you ain't ever gonna get well if you keep sacrificing yourself like this."

Daryl replied, "If I had know that you had two Annie Oakley's for aunts I would have just stayed in bed. These ladies are the most bad-ass women I have ever met."

Viv spoke up, "Yeah you better remember that Mister. If I catch you leaping over fences again before you are healed up I will shoot you like I shot those walkers, do you understand me?"

Daryl nodded in obedience. These women could scare the hell out of him.

Viv spoke again; "Now I am gonna leave you in the care of Anna and you better be on your best behavior!"

Viv winked at Daryl and left the room. Marty stood up to follow her but looked at Daryl and spoke, "Son, Thanks for protecting our ladies. They might be good shots, but they couldn't put a plan of action together if their lives depended on it. If you repeat that, I will swear you are lying, but Joe and I appreciate you looking after them." He walked over and patted Daryl on the shoulder and then left the room.

Anna sat down on the bed and noticed a book lying on the floor. She went to pick it up and when she noticed what it said she looked at Daryl and inquired, "What's this Mr. Dixon? Is there something you have been studying for that I should know about?"

**Were getting closer to the deed being done. Once again thanks for reading. Please Review for me so I know how I am doing. Reviews also help encourage me to write faster as well...I used to laugh when I read that, but I get it now. So Review Review Review for me. OK.**


	35. Chapter 35

**I haven't said it in a few chapters, so I will say it now...I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS...*wipes away tear of sadness...**

The next morning Daryl felt like hell, but not in a bad way. Every muscle in his body ached, and his wound on his abdomen was sore, but he was relieved that everyone had made it through the walker attack basically unscathed. He was concerned though that Anna seemed to freeze when the walkers had come at her after she had rescued Isabella. He looked over at her sleeping beside him and noticed that her shirt had rolled up during the night exposing the lower part of her breast and her torso down to her hip. He shuddered at the thoughts of what he wanted to do to her right then and there. It didn't help that after reading the book all afternoon the day before and looking at the graphic photos he had been left more than just a little turned on.

Anna must have heard him stir because she woke up shortly thereafter. Daryl was hoping that she wouldn't lower her shirt, and he wasn't disappointed.

"Good morning baby" she purred.

"Yes it is" He responded.

She reached over and gently pulled him to her. She placed her mouth gently on his and gave him a kiss that was laden with passion. He groaned deep in his throat. He was already aroused from the vision of her exposed body, and now this intimate contact set him off like a powder keg. He pulled her closer too him and deepened the kiss. She reached out and put her hand on his inner thigh and moved her fingers ever so gently, absolutely driving him wild. He wanted her so badly, but knew his injuries needed time to heal, so he slowly pulled away from her.

Anna gave him a confused look, "What is it Daryl. Why did you stop?"

"It ain't nothing you did wrong. I just want to give myself another day or two so I can make love to you proper. And I don't want to explain to your aunt why I tore my damn stitches again. I promise there ain't nothing I want more than to be deep inside you." He said.

Anna sighed in frustration. "I understand, but you best stick by your word and take it easy. I want you so badly and this waiting is absolutely killing me."

He kissed her again with desperation. He didn't think he ever wanted anything as badly as he wanted her right now, but he wanted their first time to be special and pleasurable, and not have to worry about tearing stitches or bleeding all over her.

"I've got to feed Hunter, are you up for a visit from your daughter?" she asked.

"Always. I want to see both my ladies." He said.

She went and got Hunter and brought her into the room. She made a mental note to move the bassinet back into their room so they could all be together again. She had been keeping Hunter in the room across the hall while Daryl was recuperating. She was going between both rooms during the night making sure both Daryl and Hunter were having their needs met. Anna was tired but having a healthy daughter and healthy Daryl was worth the sacrifice.

Anna nursed the baby and when she was done Daryl asked to hold her. He loved to just stare at her beautiful little face and kiss her fingers and toes. He was such a softy when it came to Hunter and her needs. He never thought he could love anyone or anything, but he loved this little girl unconditionally. He would gladly die protecting her and her mother and he would make sure that she always knew that she was loved. He didn't want Hunter to know one ounce of the pain he suffered growing up.

Marty popped into their room and told them that breakfast was ready. Daryl nodded and said they would be right down.

Anna looked at him and asked, "Are you sure you should be getting out of bed? I thought you were going to take it easy."

Daryl sighed, "It's breakfast, not a hunting trip. I am going stir crazy in here. I hate being cooped up like this."

She got up and put Hunter into her baby carrier and offered her hand to him to help him out of bed. He shook his head and got himself out of bed without her help. He took it slow, and the look on his face let her know that it hurt, but his stubbornness wouldn't have it any other way. He pulled on some jeans and a clean shirt and walked towards the kitchen behind her and the baby.

Marty and Joe began the conversation at breakfast discussing what they discovered yesterday with the body of the boy that had attacked Daryl. They gave all the details to Daryl about Laurel Springs and the distance that he would have to cover to get to the mountain. Daryl suggested that they see if they could possibly locate a vehicle of some sort that might have been abandoned by the boy so that it might give them some clues as to why the teen had come up to this mountain specifically.

The distance out to Laurel Springs would have been outside what most would consider "local" and it would take a lot of effort to make it up on the mountain without going through the gate, which was secure. The logging trail was pretty much impassable at this point, and even if it were, the only way to get to it from Laurel Springs would be to pass through McGrady. And the odds of surviving a trip through the cannibalistic village were very slim. Something didn't add up and Daryl desperately wanted to go out and investigate.

"Fuck!" Daryl exclaimed. His frustration was obvious and Joe picked up on it right away.

"Hey Daryl, why don't you come on out to the back porch with me and have some male bonding time." Joe said.

Daryl sighed in frustration, but shrugged and followed him out there. Joe handed him a glass of Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch Vintage 1972. Daryl had heard about this stuff from Merle and knew it costs nearly a thousand dollars a bottle. Daryl had never even had Scotch, and now he had one of the most expensive brands that they made in his hands.

Daryl said, "Ain't it a little early to start drinking? And are you sure you want to waste this stuff on me? I'm normally a Southern Comfort type of guy."

Joe replied, "First of all, I got it to drink, and you are certainly worthy of drinking this shit. Second of all, you are obviously on edge, and I think a good stiff drink would take the edge off. Just don't tell Viv or Isabella, because they would kill me for giving it to you why you are still taking pain meds."

Daryl nodded, "Thanks. I reckon 'Cheers' are in order." He lifted his glass and Joe raised his and then they downed the Scotch. It had a different flavor than any other liquor he had drank before, but it was smooth and had a nice slow burn that felt surprisingly relaxing going down.

"This shit is good!" Daryl exclaimed.

"Good," Joe said, "I got plenty more of it. Let's just say it was payment for a job I did before the world fell to pieces. Have another drink on me." Joe then refilled Daryl's glass.

Daryl had to admit that Joe was right. The fine liquor definitely had taken some of the edge off. He actually thought he could think more clearly now about the present situation.

"Joe, you think you can take me out today on the Gator. I promise to take it easy, but I want to check the area around where that boy attacked me."

Joe rubbed his chin and thought for a minute. "Yeah, we will take Marty with us. There were a lot more of those walkers down in the valley yesterday and I don't want a repeat of what we came upon yesterday. We were gonna do some combat training with Anna today, but I think Isabella and Viv can work with her. Something isn't sitting right with me either, and I think it actually might be related to this whole deal with McGrady."

"Tell me when, and we can go. I don't wanna say anything to Anna about it because I don't want her to worry, but I don't think it would hurt just to check." Daryl stated.

"I'll get Marty and meet you outside in about an hour. Tell Anna your gonna show us how to track deer. You actually can show us a few things, and then we aren't technically lying. If we find anything then we can just tell the ladies we stumbled on it while looking for deer."

Daryl thought for a minute, "Alright, it sounds good. Can you handle a crossbow? If you can, I'll let you carry mine. They are good for killing quietly."

"It's been a while, but I would love a go at it. You know, if this were the old days, I could have used someone like you as a soldier." Joe said.

Daryl chuckled, "I don't think many made men talk like I do. And if I'm not mistaken, don't ya need to be Italian? I'm a lot of things, but Italian ain't one of them."

"I'm sure we would find something for you to do. I like you Daryl, and I'm glad my niece has found you. It's too bad that Gus and Ava won't be here for the nuptials on Christmas." Joe said sadly.

"That means a lot coming from ya Joe. They are gonna be a part of the service, but just not in the way we all would want. I was hoping you could be the one to say something to kinda make it official."

"I'm honored Daryl, but we are gonna let Marty do it, since he is the older brother. Trust me, He can be quite poetic when he wants to be. Isabella is always getting on me to be more like him. You know those two women tell each other everything." He laughed.

"I figured. They sure don't hold nothing back. Guess I gotta get used to it if I'm gonna be part of this family." Daryl stated in a matter of fact manner.

"I can tell you are not quite used to being around a family like this. I don't know your story, but I think it is safe to say you probably didn't grow up under the best family circumstances. I appreciate you putting up with us for Anna's sake. You'll get used to it." Joe joked.

"Yeah, it was definitely a different experience for me coming up, but I like this family. Hell, I love this family. Gus showed me more love in the short period of time I knew him than my old man ever did. He became like a dad to me almost instantly. That's what made losing him so hard."

"Gus was a good man. You will honor him by marrying Anna. He knew you loved her. If he didn't he wouldn't have given you those wedding bands. Those meant everything to him. As sad as it is to say, I'm glad that he didn't have to be here long without Ava. He adored her and I don't think he would have lasted long without her anyhow. He would have grieved himself to death." Joe was starting to get choked up thinking about his older brother. He stood up and clasped Daryl on the arm. "Now let's stop all this sappy bullshit and get ready for our little mission."

Daryl nodded and got up to go find Anna. He found her playing with Hunter. He watched them quietly for a moment before announcing his presence. She looked adorable talking to the little girl and making funny faces at the infant. He could watch the two of them interact for hours on end. It warmed his heart to know they belonged to him. There was no better gift that he could have received than the gift of his new family and extended family.

He coughed and got her attention, "Hey baby. I'm going out with your uncles for a little while in the Gator."

"What, why would you do that? You promised you were going to take it easy." She spat out.

"Hey Hey, Don't panic. I'm just gonna show them some tips on tracking deer. I just gotta get out of the house. I promise I will take it easy, besides, I'm too sore to do anything much more than sit and point." He told her.

"Ugh, OK, guess I'm not gonna be able to talk you out of it. Please be careful. I want you healthy and strong so, well, you know, we can have some quality alone time. This waiting is killing me." She said pleadingly.

"I know sweetheart. It's killing me too. I love you, now come here and give me a kiss." He grabbed her too him and laid his mouth on hers. There was an instant spark and their tongues were intermingling ferociously. She ran her fingers through his soft long hair and he pulled her in tightly, wincing slightly when he stretched his abdominal muscles. There was a sickening satisfaction with the mixing of the two senses of pleasure and pain and it left Daryl in an aroused state.

She could feel his hardness against her thigh and began to grind against him, trying desperately not to hurt his wound. They were both breathing heavily and he slipped his hands up under her shirt and slid them up her sides. He could feel her skin raise at his touch. She gasped and slowly pulled away.

"We better stop before we get carried away." She was panting heavily and noticed he was too. She knew that their first time together was going to electric. It didn't matter if he hadn't had any real experience or not, just the attraction alone would make the experience worth while. She doubted she would last two minutes when she finally felt him inside of her. God she needed him badly.

"I swear Daryl, if you re-injure yourself I will fucking kill you myself!" She threatened.

"Yes ma'am." He replied smiling at her. He left giving her a wink. He definitely was not going to let himself get hurt. He had too much at stake now.

**Chapter 35 folks...can't believe it. Tomorrow is Christmas eve and I hope to get the next chapter up tomorrow morning sometime. Hope everyone is having an awesome holiday.**

**Thanks for all the favs and follow...Love all of you and it means so much to hear your words of encouragement.**

**Please leave reviews if you like it or hate it...but if you hate it, let me know why. It's the only way I can get better at writing. Just be gentle!**

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	36. Chapter 36

**Merry Christmas Everyone!**

Every time they hit a bump, Daryl held his breath. Keeping himself balanced on the ATV used a lot more abdominal muscles than Daryl would have thought. But Daryl did what he had done his entire life, and that was that he pushed the pain down. He had a knack for being able to block out what ever hurt so that he could focus on other things, such as survival.

When they got to the spot where Daryl had killed the boy, Marty helped him ease out of the Gator so that he could check the area. There were still bloodstains on the ground and he knew that droplets that lead away to where he had been in the truck were his. He realized just how close of a call he had. He knew that he had let his guard down that night and that was a weakness he could no longer afford. He had noticed that since he had become so close with Anna, that the distractions of happiness had caused him to lose some of the focus that he had always had. Somehow he was going to have to find a balance between happiness and survival, and he had spent the most part of his forty-three years only focused on the survival part. It was time to broaden his horizons.

Daryl followed the tracks that lead to where the incident took place. He back tracked them and noticed that they actually headed down the mountain towards the logging trail. Marty and Joe got back on the Gator and followed Daryl as he intently studied the direction the tracks continued on. After about another hundred yards Daryl spotted a tent and the remains of a camp. He held up his hand for the men to stop. He listened to see if he could hear anything before he walked over to the tent to investigate.

When he pulled the flap back on the tent he found the remnants of what he guessed were Wylie Simpkins supplies. He pilfered through the belongings and found what appeared to be some sort of crude journal. Picking it up, he began reading through the pages.

He walked out of the tent and addressed both men, "I think we got a much bigger problem on our hands than McGrady."

Marty looked curiously at Daryl and replied, "What the fuck you mean? What did you find in that tent?"

"This," Daryl said as he handed the journal over to Marty, "The kid was just trying to get the hell out of Laurel Springs. Apparently they have a fucking army built up of bikers and gang members. They have been taking out all the towns around the area all the way up to some place called Sparta. There are probably about three hundred of them according to his notes."

Joe then joined in the conversation, "Shit, we can't take on that many. We aren't really safe here. Not without re-enforcement's, and a lot of them."

"Not a word of this to the women just yet. Daryl, tomorrow we will celebrate Christmas like planned and you are going to marry my niece and have a little honeymoon. After that, we have to decide what to do. I don't think they are aware we are up here, that boy was here because he thought it was deserted. But it won't take them long to figure it out."

Daryl nodded firmly. They had a mess on their hands. His mind wandered to the boy that he killed. The kid was only seventeen. The whole situation was fucked up. The kid tried to kill Daryl because he must of thought that Daryl was after him to bring him back or something and Daryl killed the kid in self-defense. It left a bad taste in Daryl's mouth, and something else he hadn't felt in a long time, guilt.

The men all headed back to the house, paying more attention to their surroundings and taking extra care to make sure that no one was watching them. When they got back to the house the found the ladies in a full blown combat training session with Anna. They walked in the house just in time to see Viv knocking Anna completely on her ass. The look on Anna's face had Daryl holding in a laugh. He couldn't tell if she was Angry, frustrated, about to laugh, in shock, or all of the above.

Isabella stepped in to show Anna what she had done wrong. She corrected Anna's stance and showed her how to turn her body to escape someone holding her. The women continued on for another hour and Viv finally spoke up, "Anna honey, I love you, but you are going to have to toughen up. Stop being so apprehensive. There isn't time for that. I saw you freeze up the other night during the Walker attack, and if it hadn't been for Daryl going over the fence, you probably wouldn't be here right now and Hunter wouldn't have a mama. I want you to focus on that little girl. When someone comes at you like I just did, you picture them going after Hunter. Channel that anger and turn it into precision. You know you would stop at nothing to protect her!"

Isabella snuck up behind Anna and grabbed her from behind. Anna turned quickly and reversed her position, pulling Isabella's arm behind her and throwing her to the ground. Anna let out an angry yell and pounced on Isabella, holding her down by her hair and keeping her in place with a knee on her chest.

The room was suddenly filled with applause. Anna had done exactly what Viv had told her to do and the result was flawless. Joe came over and helped his wife get up and both of her aunts were smiling proudly. "See baby girl, I knew you had it in you! That is how you defend yourself!" Isabella gushed.

The training session was winding down and everyone was dispersing out to the rest of the house. Viv took the chance to grab Daryl, "Follow me, I have something for you."

Daryl panicked briefly, but followed Viv obediently. She took him upstairs to one of the extra rooms and shut the door. She rummaged through the closet for a second and then turned to him, "Here, you can wear this tomorrow." She said.

She had picked out a pair of nice black jeans, a long sleeve white linen button-up shirt, and a pair of black Italian Leather loafers. These were by far the finest clothes that Daryl had ever seen in his life. He checked the sizes and they would fit him perfectly. Viv spoke, "These were my son's clothes. I haven't seen him since the outbreak, and I want to think he is alive and surviving out there, but I just don't know. These will be perfect for you to wear tomorrow and it will make me happy to see you wearing something besides the rags you are always dressed in. You are a handsome man Daryl, but sometimes you just gotta take a little pride in your appearance. So for the love of God, put forth the extra effort tomorrow. You are one of us now, and when we celebrate, we like to do it up right!"

"Yes ma'am, I promise! It's the least I can do for all you have done for me." He paused, then spoke again, "Um, do you think the stitches will be OK for, well, you know, tomorrow night?" Daryl flushed when he asked the question.

"Take off your shirt, let's check them now." Viv said.

Daryl obliged and took off his shirt and sat down on the bed. Viv came over and lifted the bandage and checked the wound. The swelling and puckering were minimal and almost all the redness was gone. There were no signs of infection and Viv was pleased how it looked considering she had just re-stitched him the day before.

"As long as you don't do anything too crazy, I think you will be fine. Just my two cents worth, some positions might be better than others, but I am leaving that up to you two kids!" She joked.

Daryl sighed in relief. Tomorrow was going to be a big day for him. He was going to have his daughter blessed, marry the woman he loved, and finally, give himself wholly to someone that he trusted. He couldn't keep the smile off of his face.

Viv interrupted his thoughts, "You need to keep Anna occupied for about an hour or two. Isabella and I are heading up to Gus's to get everything ready for the wedding. We found some things here in the attic that will work out perfectly, but we don't want Anna asking questions. Do you think you and the men can handle that?"

"Yup, not a problem. I don't know how I am ever going to thank you for all of this." He said.

"You already have. Now stop worrying and go find Anna and keep her busy." Viv commanded.

Daryl found Anna nursing Hunter in their room. They were a glorious sight to behold. He couldn't believe how something so natural was so beautiful. His heart swelled with love and admiration seeing his woman care for their child. He sat down on the bed and noticed she had pulled out an old photo album.

"Whatcha got there darling?" He asked.

"Sort of a family tradition. We used to do slide shows on Christmas Eve. I figured that tonight we could go through old family photo albums. All of our recent photos were digital and I lost them when I lost my computer, but I think dad still has some on his computer. Maybe when we get back up to the house we could hook up the computer and could print some of them out. I wonder if his digital camera is up there somewhere?" She asked.

Daryl excused himself and ran to catch Viv and Isabella before they left. He asked them to see if they could find Gus's camera and some batteries. He was thinking that they could take some photos of the baby's dedication and of their wedding tomorrow. Viv thought it was a wonderful idea and Isabella felt certain she knew where Gus kept his camera bag.

When Daryl popped back in the room Anna looked at him curiously, "What are you up too Daryl Dixon. And don't tell me nothing. I know you better than that."

"Shit" he thought to himself. What was he going to say? He stammered for a minute and then said, "I'm working on a Christmas present for you. Your aunts are helping me out so stop asking questions or you will ruin the surprise." He didn't lie, but he just didn't give her the details.

"OK, OK," She held up her hands in surrender. "You know we don't even have a tree. We should have gotten one, it would make things seem more festive."

"I saw your Uncles head out to the woods with a saw, so maybe they had the same thing in mind. You know I never really celebrated Christmas before. I am actually looking forward to it. I should have made a run to town to get something for our baby girl. I kinda feel like Shit that she won't have anything, except…. I got an idea. You stay here and get some rest, because you had a tough training day today. Baby girl will get something, but I gotta find some tools first."

Once again Daryl took off through the house and headed to the basement. He found some blocks of wood, sand paper, and his carving knife. Yep, this would be perfect. He was going to make the perfect present for his baby girl. He got to carving and sanding and before he knew it, three hours had passed. He was pleased with his work and was sure that everything was "baby" safe. This Christmas was going to be wonderful, and Daryl couldn't help but think that without the commercialism of the past it made this Christmas especially special.

Everyone returned back to the house late afternoon. Sure enough Joe and Marty had gone and got a tree and had begun to decorate it with ornaments that had been stored up in the attic. The ladies had returned and just as Isabella had promised, they had a working digital camera. Joe and Marty's house ran off a generator that was fed by natural gas, so they didn't have quite the same worry that existed a Gus's house, which ran off of solar power and bottled propane. They would be able to string lights on the tree and run the computer to pull the photos off the camera. Everything was coming together perfectly.

Tomorrow was going to be a magical day for everyone. Daryl knew deep in the recesses of his mind that after tomorrow, things were going to have to change drastically. He didn't know if they would even still be staying here in a week, but they could relax for just one day and make their decisions about what had to be done afterwards.

**Hope everyone is enjoying a bit of a Christmas themed chapter...Tomorrow will be the wedding, and well, the honeymoon if you get my drift. These two kids have been waiting waaayyyyy to long to consumate their relationship! **

**Hope you all have a happy holidays, and please, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW...**


	37. Chapter 37

**I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas...and without further adieu...here is the wedding chapter...**

**WARNING-Graphic scenes in this chapter.**

**Thanks for everything you guys do!**

**Love ya each-**

**Missy**

**XXOO**

Christmas morning was all-abuzz in the house. Daryl crawled out of bed and went to check on Hunter. Anna was sleeping soundly and he didn't want to wake her. Hunter had been fussy a good part of the night and Anna had gotten up with her several times to feed and change her. He carried Hunter to the kitchen and pulled out a bottle that Anna had prepared in advance and began to feed the baby. He could hear the others moving about in the house but no one had made it down to the kitchen yet. Hunter drank greedily from her bottle and Daryl enjoyed the quiet bonding time he was having with his daughter. Today he and Anna would officially become a family and he could hardly wait.

Isabella wandered down into the kitchen first. She was decked out brighter than a Christmas ornament wearing a black dress that was covered in sequins. This woman refused to let anything like a little ole apocalypse get her down. Her hair was done up huge and she had on full make-up and jewels. Daryl couldn't help but laugh to himself. Especially since he figured the huge diamonds that were on her fingers and in her ears were probably worth thousands of dollars.

She flipped on an apron and began to prepare breakfast. Vivianna who was equally decked out like Isabella soon joined her. The women were talking half in Italian and half in English. Daryl finished feeding his daughter and proceeded to burp her. Just as soon as he was done feeding her Anna walked into the kitchen half asleep and instinctually held her arms out for the little girl. Daryl handed the baby to her mother and was immediately presented with a plate of warm delicious food. These women and their cooking were threatening his waste line.

Viv spoke, "Sorry Daryl, this is just a simple breakfast this morning. We want you to save your appetite for Christmas lunch."

Daryl responded, "What? This is light? This would have been a four course meal for me before all this shit happened."

Anna interjected, "Honey, you haven't seen anything until these two women cook a legitimate Italian feast. Just prepare yourself to be stuffed before this day is over."

Daryl hoped he would be definitely burning off some calories later this evening. He smiled to himself and apparently he didn't keep it as hidden as he would like because Anna noticed,

"Why are you smiling like the cat that ate the canary Daryl Dixon?" She asked curiously.

"Reckon I'm gonna need some extra energy anyway." He said smirking and then gave her a wink.

Anna just laughed, "You might wanna start eating now then."

They all sat down and ate breakfast together. Daryl placed a gift wrapped in old newspaper on the table. "I thought my daughter deserved a Christmas present, and since you can't really run to a store and buy anything, I made her a little something."

He pushed the gift across the table to Anna who was holding Hunter and she began to unwrap it curiously. Inside the box were hand carved wooden building blocks. Each block had a different letter that spelled out her name, and then he had hand carved different animals on each block such as a rabbit, a bird, a squirrel, a deer, a cat, and a dog. The detail was intricate and precise and Joe commented on the craftsmanship of the woodwork. He had even carved different types of flowers on each block as well. Anna noted to herself that before the Apocalypse Daryl could have done this type of work and made good money creating work of this quality.

Joe and Marty began to eat with the rest of the family and Marty had picked up Hunter and was speaking to her in cute baby talk. Anna was laughing at the sight of her tough uncle reduced to babbling while he held the little girl. Isabella then reached for the baby and took charge of the infant so Mary could eat his breakfast. She then looked at Daryl and Anna and then commanded,

"You two go get dressed and ready for the day. I want you both looking presentable. Anna, you need to slap on some make-up and fix your hair. Daryl deserves to see you look like a lady at least for today, and Daryl, for God sake, please shave that mess on your face. Baby girl needs to see her parents look as beautiful as she is!"

Anna and Daryl just laughed.

Daryl went upstairs to take a shower, and Joe caught him on the way up,

"Daryl, here I have something for you." He handed Daryl a shaving kit, soap, shampoo, conditioner, scissors, cologne, and various other grooming supplies. Daryl chuckled when Joe handed it to him.

"I think I can take a hint." Daryl said.

He headed into the shower and let the hot water pour over his body. He had removed the bandages over his abdominal wound and the hot water stung a bit as it hit the exposed incision. He washed and scrubbed his body thoroughly and thought about his impending activities later on that day, so without hesitation, he grabbed a razor and decided to manscape himself as a special treat for Anna. It seemed that everyday Daryl was finding himself doing things that he never gave a shit about before and that gave him a good laugh.

Anna was letting herself soak in a hot bath. She had filled the tub and used some essential oils that one of her Aunt's had kept under the sink. She followed her normal grooming routine and when she got out of the tub her body felt as smooth as silk. She toweled off and then began to get herself dressed. Her aunts had picked out a beautiful white suit that belonged to Ava, apparently they had been up to the house to check on things at one point and time this week. They had even managed to find some unopened white lace panties and bras that would fit Anna perfectly. She had to admit that it felt really damn good to get herself fixed up for the first time in probably two years.

As Anna finished dressing Aunt Viv came into the room and handed her a Christening gown.

"Baby girl, I have held onto this for years. Even with everything that was happening with the outbreak, I couldn't let it stay behind. You, your cousins, and your parents and Uncles were all christened in this and I figured we could keep up the family tradition and have Hunter christened in it as well." Viv said.

Anna took the gown from her aunt and admired the detail of the gown. It was white silk and trimmed with lace and eyelet. The family name 'Martinelli' was monogrammed along the edge and a little angel was embroidered across the front. Just seeing this little bit of her family history brought Anna to tears. Viv embraced her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"It's OK baby girl. These are the true things in life we cherish. Never forget that." Viv said.

She left the room and let Anna finish getting dressed. Isabella brought Hunter to her mom and Anna got the baby dressed up in the beautiful gown. Hunter looked like a little angel. Daryl walked in the room, as Anna was finishing with Hunter. Her mouth dropped when she saw him dressed in the outfit that Viv had given him. Daryl looked amazing. He was clean shaving with the exception of a neatly trimmed goatee and he had even trimmed his hair. He smelled absolutely amazing and she didn't think she had ever seen a man look as handsome as Daryl did in the un-tucked white linen shirt and black jeans. He even had on some Italian leather shoes.

She didn't have to ask where the clothes had come from, because she knew that Viv's son Vincenzio had left some items behind for weekends when he would come visit. Vincenzio, or Vin, as they called him was always dressed to the nines whether he was in Boston or in the rural mountains of North Carolina.

The Christening was a beautiful family service. Viv had produced the camera that her and Isabella had located the day before and took some pictures of the Holy service. Marty stood in where a Priest would normally perform the service and followed all of the rituals. He poured Holy water over the baby's head and performed the blessing. Isabella and Joe were named Hunter's God Parents and Daryl and Anna promised to raise Hunter under the Catholic Faith. Even though Daryl wasn't a particularly religious person, and he certainly wasn't Catholic, he knew it meant a lot to Anna so he didn't hesitate to agree with allowing Hunter to be raised under her faith.

The family gathered together and said the Lord's prayer (which amazingly Daryl had remembered from a summer Vacation Bible School that he had attended when he was young) and then all laid hands on Anna, Daryl and Hunter. It was a truly spiritual experience and Daryl couldn't help but feel touched. He understood the importance of this ceremony to the family and realized that in their mind, if something unfortunate happened to Hunter, then she would be taken care of, as far as the family was concerned, by God.

After the emotional Christening service, as promised, Viv and Isabella had prepared a huge feast. There were many different types of meat dishes, pastas, vegetables, salads, casseroles, and desserts. The family ate together and began telling family stories.

After several humorous stories provided by Joe and Marty about Gus and some of the pranks he had pulled on other family members in their childhood, Viv pulled out some old family photo albums. They all began passing them around and Daryl was intrigued with all the pictures that they had collected over the years. He didn't think that he had accumulated even ten family photos over his forty-three years.

Looking through the albums there were several photos of Anna growing up. She was a remarkably beautiful girl and seeing her today made up and dressed in white, he didn't think he had ever seen any woman look lovelier. There were several pictures of her and John throughout the years. He would have thought that seeing her with him would have bothered him, but really he couldn't be. Based on everything he had gathered about her deceased husband, he had to admit he was an upstanding guy. He couldn't hold that against anyone, and deep down he was happy that Anna had shared a good life with him.

As the day passed and it was getting closer to sunset, Daryl found himself getting nervous. He was by no means having second thoughts, but he just wanted everything to work out perfectly. He just hoped that his apprehension wouldn't give away the surprise.

About thirty minutes before sunset Joe suggested that they go take Hunter to visit Ava and Gus. Anna thought that visiting her parents was a wonderful idea and a perfect way to end a cherished family day. She had no idea what surprise she was about to walk into.

When they got Gus's house and prepared to walk down to Gus and Ava's grave, Joe stopped Anna as the others proceeded down to the edge of the cliff. She still was not in sight of the set up that her Aunts had prepared the day before. Daryl had Hunter and Anna didn't question anyone's actions.

Joe spoke, "Anna honey, I just want you to know, that I love you like you were my own daughter and I want nothing but great happiness for you. I wish your parents could have been here with us today, but sometimes circumstances beyond our control take people away from us too soon. Daryl is a fine man and we are happy that you have him in your life, and that he is part of this family."

Anna nodded and gave her uncle a hug and a kiss, and he then took her by the arm and led her down the hill to the edge of the cliff.

The sun was starting to set and she couldn't believe what she saw as she came to her parents grave- site. Marty was standing with his bible open and Daryl was standing beside him, holding Hunter. There was an aisle perfectly lined with white stones and lanterns adorning the way. Anna's heart rate increased when she realized that Daryl and her family had planned a surprise wedding for her. She immediately became overwhelmed with emotion and the tears began to flow freely.

When Daryl saw his bride- to- be coming towards him being escorted by Joe, he himself began to tear up. This was really happening and Daryl had never felt such an intense joy in his heart. Marty went through the basic wedding rituals, and when it came time to say the Vows, Daryl surprised everyone when he pulled out a piece of paper and began to read vows that he had written himself,

"My darling Anna, you are my sun. You are magnificently beautiful in the morning when you awake, you are my warmth and light during the day, and you are even more beautiful in the evening when you lay down beside me and comfort my soul. I will spend every breath that I have left in my body loving you and Hunter and give myself to you and your family wholly and completely. I have never known a greater Joy than I have known since I met you. The day I met you my life began, and my heart beats only for you, our daughter, and our family. I take you as my Wife not as a gesture, but as a promise and a life long commitment. I love you and words can not express just how much you mean to me."

There was complete silence with the exceptions of sniffling and tears from the rest of the family. Anna was completely speechless for the first time in her entire life. Finally she spoke,

"Daryl, there is no way I could come up with something as beautiful as what you just said to me. There is no greater gift that I could have received from you today, or the rest of my life. Not only will I have you as my husband, but I will spend the rest of my life showing you just how much you mean to me as well. I will love and cherish you everyday as if it was the first day we were together. Hunter and I have been truly blessed by your presence in our lives and I love you with all my heart, all my soul, and anything that is left."

Marty nodded tearfully, and the finally pronounced them husband and wife. Immediately they were encompassed by the family, and hugs, kisses, tears, flowed freely as everyone passed on well wishes. It was truly a magical moment and for just this one day it was as if the world hadn't collapsed and the dead didn't roam the earth. It was as close to Heaven as Daryl could imagine Heaven would be.

Joe pulled out some of his Fine scotch and poured drinks for the men. Anna was talking with Viv and holding the baby while Isabella had disappeared to "relieve" herself. When Isabella returned the ladies all had a glass of champagne and giggled about what Anna and Daryl would be doing tonight. It was agreed that Daryl and Anna would stay up at the house for the evening and the aunts and uncles would watch the baby.

As sunset gave way to dusk, and dusk gave way to sunset, everyone left Daryl and Anna to the privacy of their honeymoon. Joe said he would be by in the morning around ten to pick them up and bring them back to their house. Both Daryl and Anna had butterflies in their stomach in anticipation of what they soon would be doing.

Daryl took Anna's hand and led her back up to the house. He opened the door and was impressed at what Viv and Isabella had done to the house. They had dragged the bed out of the bedroom and placed it in front of the fireplace that now had a roaring fire going. The bed was made up with a white bed cover that had been pulled back exposing white sheets and pillows. They had spread red silk rose petals across the bed and around the floor. Scented candles had been lit and placed around the room to improve the ambiance of the house.

There was a bottle of wine chilling in an ice bucket and a spread of food and a cake lay out on the kitchen table. It seemed that no detail had been left untouched. Daryl made a mental note to kiss each of the women when he saw them tomorrow because he couldn't have imagined a more perfect setting.

Anna looked at Daryl and spoke; "I love you. I have since I first met you."

Daryl walked over to the bed and looked her directly in her simmering brown eyes, "Come here, come to me."

Anna obliged and immediately was greeted with the most passionate kiss she had ever experienced. Her legs became like jelly as he continued to kiss her deeply. She took his shirt in her hands and quickly unbuttoned it and removed it promptly. He reciprocated and removed her jacket and blouse exposing her ample breasts that were straining against the white lace bra she was wearing. He let out an animal like groan and could barely keep himself from ripping off her clothes. He took a deep breath and savored the sight before him.

The Candle light illuminated her body magically and he could see her hardened nipples reflecting from her darkened nipples under the bra. He couldn't take it another second and removed the bra and immediately began savoring them in his mouth. Anna moaned in pleasure and arched her back in ecstasy. She could feel her most intimate parts flooding with warmth and began to act instinctually. He pulled her skirt down to expose the matching white panties that she had worn.

She quickly undid his belt and slid his jeans down. He kicked off his shoes and socks, and slid the jeans completely off. The only thing that kept their near naked bodies from making complete contact was his boxers and her panties.

Anna began kissing him vigorously down his neck and then slid her tongue over his nipples, moving it in a circular motion. Daryl threw his head back with the sensation as his nipples hardened in her mouth. Anna made the first move and slid his boxers off of him. She laid him back on the bed and motioned for him to move to the edge. He complied and she dropped to her knees and slowly took the end of his member into her mouth. Daryl's head was spinning with the feeling of her warm mouth surrounding the head of his manhood.

She continued to work him into a frenzy and Daryl couldn't hold back his moans of pleasure. He could feel himself losing control and he didn't want to lose it this soon into their first experience. He slowly slid out of her mouth and guided her up in front of him. He slid her panties down over her flawless legs exposing her most intimate parts to him. He gently kissed her on her hipbone and moved his kisses slowly across her lower stomach and then down to just above her core. He slid her onto his lap and then buried his head into her chest between her breasts.

He held his hands against the center of her back, and she arched herself, thrusting her hips towards his groin. His erection was now resting against her entrance, which now felt like warm silk. Daryl had never experienced anything so intense in his life.

She shifted slightly and allowed his hardened member to slowly slip inside her. He thrust forward slightly and slowly buried himself completely in her entrance. She could feel him fill her up completely and screamed out in pleasure. The sounds of her scream just about sent Daryl over the edge. He began to move slowly inside of her and with each thrust, she rocked back.

As he began thrusting inside of her, he also would pull her to him so that he could penetrate her deeply and completely. She would contract her inner most muscles as each thrust shot waves of fire through her core. She knew she wasn't going to last much longer and she could tell by the way his breathing was becoming erratic that he wasn't either.

He continued to thrust deeply and she locked her knees onto his hips and began to intensify his thrusts. He was now licking her breasts wildly and she began moving hard and quickly along his shaft. She felt the fire building in her belly and could no longer control herself.

She screamed out, "Now Daryl, Now, I'm coming baby, Oh God, I'm coming…" and she pushed herself onto him as powerfully as she could. She could feel his legs shaking and knew he was about to come with her. With one last thrust, he cried out her name and she could feel his warm release inside of her. Her legs were shaking and her body was vibrating as she experienced an incredibly intense orgasm. Her head flew back as she gave one final thrust and she hollered out his name in pleasure and then collapsed up against him. Daryl fell back onto the mattress and Anna collapsed gently on top of him, careful not to rest all of her weight on his injury.

She finally rolled to the side of him and he rolled over to her and wrapped her in his arms. He kissed her gently on the lips and finally caught his breath.

Anna spoke first, "Where the hell did you learn how to do that? Oh my God Daryl, that was incredible."

"Once again you gotta thank your crazy aunts and that fucking book." He joked.

"I definitely am thanking them after this. I don't think I am going to be able to walk tomorrow." She said.

Daryl couldn't stop smiling. At this moment, nothing could bring him down. He continued to hold her in his arms and slowly ran his fingers down her arms. She was now his officially and Daryl couldn't have imagined a more perfect evening. He had completely pushed everything that they were going to have to deal with tomorrow to the back of his mind. No matter what happened tomorrow, he would always have the gift of his wedding night to remember for eternity.

**Well I hoped you all enjoyed this...its a long chapter and I have no idea how to write a sex scene. So if it is boring or disappointing, I apologize. I just don't want it to come across as too crude. It is a beautiful experience between two people and I don't want to cheapen it.**

**As usual, please please please Review for me so I know how I am doing. **


	38. Chapter 38

**Quick Disclaimer- I do not own Daryl Dixon, The Walking Dead, or any of it's characters**

**Well-The honeymoon is over...back to reality for the family.**

Daryl and Anna woke up naked and intertwined with each other still basking in the glory of the previous night's lovemaking. Unfortunately, today was a day that they would have to get back to reality. It sucked that they couldn't take a few more days to enjoy the perks of being newly married, but there really wasn't time to spare when they had a new threat looming against them.

Daryl sat down at the table and was quickly devouring the food that Viv and Isabella left for them. Apparently he had worked up quite an appetite the night before. Anna laughed hysterically as he wolfed down bite after bite without even looking up.

"Hey, just because you are a married man now doesn't mean that you can let yourself go. If you get fat you are just going to make yourself easier for the Walkers to catch you." She joked.

Daryl laughed and pulled him self away from his plate, "Um, Sorry, it just tasted so damn good. Your family can cook so fucking good."

"Yeah, hopefully we can get ourselves back into this house with Hunter and get our privacy back and then I will prove my own cooking skills to you. Speaking of privacy, I need to pump, my boobs are killing me…"Anna said.

Daryl couldn't help but notice how swollen and tantalizing her breasts were. He had to turn away so as to not start something again, especially since Joe would be up to the house in less than hour to take them back. He really did hate the lack of privacy that they had staying down at the Big House, but he also knew that for now this was the safest option for his family.

"Hey, we have a little less than hour before Joe gets here, you wanna conserve water and take a shower with me?" Anna suggested.

"Don't have to ask me twice!" Daryl said as he grabbed Anna's hand and pulled her into the bathroom. Clothes were discarded rapidly while the water warmed up. The solar panels had been working fine since there hadn't been any rain or snow in the last week.

As the hot water began to pour over their bodies Daryl and Anna began to move together under the stream of water. Daryl had lifted Anna up and she wrapped her legs around his waste as he braced her against the wall. He quickly slid into her hot center and began to pump into her quickly. They would have loved to take their time, but with Joe coming over in a short period of time, they didn't have that luxury. Fortunately both of them were so ready for each other's bodies that they both achieved orgasm in short order. Daryl was rinsing Anna's hair when they heard Joe enter the house. Damn. He was early.

They both got dressed quickly and walked out of the bathroom together. Joe gave them both a knowing look and gave Daryl a big pat on the back.

"You should have left a tie on the door- post or something to give me a warning, I could have come back you know…" He said.

They both laughed politely, but couldn't fully disguise their disappointment. They loaded up their belongings, packed up the left over food, and headed back to her Aunt and Uncle's house. Yes, they were going to have to get back up to their own house shortly.

When they got back to the main house, Marty pulled Joe and Daryl into a meeting out on the covered porch. It was time to get back to business to determine what their next options were going to be. Marty started the conversation as Joe and Daryl both lit up a cigarette.

"Ok, we had our party yesterday, now it's time to get down to the business at hand. We need to determine what we are dealing with. If these fellows from Laurel Springs have joined forces with the crazies at McGrady, we will not be able to just go in and take out the town. We would be exposing ourselves and there is no way we can handle a group of that size. My first suggestion is that Daryl and I go down to McGrady. We have to determine what is going on with our closest threat." Joe and Daryl both agreed that this was the best plan of action.

Daryl then spoke up, "I think after we go down to check out McGrady, then we need to have a direct conversation with the women and let them know what is going on. If we decide that the best option is to leave, then they need to be mentally prepared to go. What we have up here is an uncommon luxury and it's gonna be tough if we have to go out and start surviving. I know Anna had to do it for almost a year before we returned up here, but I don't know how Viv and Isabella would handle living like that."

Joe rubbed his chin before he spoke, "They could handle it if they had too, but it's been a while since they have had to rough it. Even on our way down here we had various safe houses we could stay at through Gus's Prepper connections. But those were just temporary travel conditions. Both girls grew up together dirt poor and on a farm. They know how to survive if they had too, don't forget they did butcher those animals you caught right before you got stabbed. I'm not saying they would like it, but they could do it."

Daryl nodded in acknowledgment, "Good to know. Those ladies surprise me everyday. All these women in this family do, nothing seems to get them down."

Marty then added in, "That's because family is what they cherish the most. Now don't get me wrong, they like their shiny things, but they would let those go in a second if it meant keeping family together. That's why they are so content right now, its because we have you, Anna, and the baby with us, and you are part of this family."

Marty's words resonated with Daryl. He felt exactly the same way about all of them, which is why it was so important to find out what they were dealing with. The McGrady folks had proven to be vicious killers and had a psychotic streak that seemed to run through each and everyone of them.

Gus had left Sheila Lyles alive out of compassion, and the repayment he received was a brutal murder. If they hadn't been so hell bent on revenge they probably would have cannibalized him, which was something that Daryl couldn't even fathom in his mind.

He knew of stories about people eating dead humans out of desperation for survival, but with all the fish, game, and wild edibles around here, there wasn't any need to go that far. There was definitely something wrong with these people's DNA and he guessed it had to do with inbreeding for so many years.

The men all enjoyed one last cigarette and a shot of scotch, and then Daryl and Marty went to say goodbye to their women. Daryl found Anna sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair with Hunter. She was singing sweetly to their daughter and it brought back memories of Beth singing to ease little Ass Kicker back when he was at the prison. He hadn't really thought too much about the group over the past few weeks and he really wished he had a way to get in contact with them to see if they were OK.

He felt bad that him and Rick had parted on strained terms, but he didn't regret his decision to take care of Anna. She was alone and needed help, and Daryl was more than just a little disappointed in how Rick reacted. All things being said, it worked out for him and Anna, but that didn't mean that he still didn't worry about his other family. Anna had mentioned that there were eleven other homes up on the mountain and he wondered if there were any way possible he could move the group up here. Of course, he would discuss it with the family and see what their reaction would be. He felt Anna would be a little less than enthusiastic about inviting the group here based on how Rick refused to accept her at the prison. However, he would discuss it with her anyway after they had determined what type of threat they were dealing with in McGrady and Laurel Springs.

Daryl was brought back to reality when Anna cleared her throat, "Hey Baby," she said. "You looked like you were a million miles away. What's up"

"Marty and I are going to do some scouting around the area to see if there are any more imminent threats. We will be gone a couple of hours. I just wanted to let you know and say goodbye to my ladies."

"Are you sure you're up to it? You had quite a strenuous night last night and I don't want you to over exert yourself. You are still healing up."

"I'm fine. I promise. Besides, laying around is driving me crazy and it might effect my good natured personality" He joked.

Anna stood up and walked over to him. She handed him Hunter and then wrapped her arms around him and held him in a tight embrace. "I love you Daryl Dixon. Don't you ever forget that."

Daryl kissed her deeply, "And I love you Anna Dixon. So don't you ever forget that! And I love you my little sweet girl." He said to Hunter as he kissed her on the forehead.

Marty and Daryl loaded up one of the 4WD vehicles that they had procured a few weeks back. Viv had packed them each lunches and waters and placed a cooler in the back. The men loaded up the weapons and some other supplies they would need for bushwhacking through the last mile to McGrady. They also brought a handheld radio.

Joe was going to monitor everything from the house and keep coordinates on their position. If something happened, he would evacuate the house and get the women out and go in the opposite direction towards Traphill. It was unlikely that anything would go wrong since Daryl and Marty were just going to observe, but they wanted to be prepared just in case.

They drove the SUV down to where the bridge across the creek had been washed out. From there Daryl and Marty proceeded on foot for the last mile before they got the McGrady city limits. Neither one of them were prepared for what they found. They cautiously entered into the town to find almost all of the homes burned to the ground and fifty bodies littering the streets. All of them had gunshot wounds to the head and all of them were men and boys. They couldn't find a single remnant of a female anywhere.

Both Marty and Daryl looked at each other with a look of horror on their faces. They immediately retreated out of sight and pushed themselves to get back across the creek to the SUV. The town had been decimated and they suspected who had attacked. The most disturbing fact was what these assholes were doing with the females, including the children. It sickened both of them, to the point that Daryl felt himself growing nauseous.

This revelation changed things drastically. They had no choice, they were going to have to find out what exactly was going on in Laurel Springs, and if it was as bad as they now suspected, they were going to have to leave or find a way to build an army of their own. Either way it meant some or all of them were going to have to leave the comfort of the mountain for a while and he wasn't looking forward to breaking the news to Anna.

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter...have a great evening and happy reading.**

**Please feel free to review. I mean, feel REALLY free to review. It's addictive!**


	39. Chapter 39

**Oh my goodness I am loving all the reviews, favs, and follows. Thanks for all of the support you have given my story. **

**Just a quick warning that there is a little smut in this chapter...we are dealing with a couple of newlyweds, so they are getting to enjoy each other a little bit!**

**I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD OR ITS CHARACTERS...I'm just borrowing them for this story!**

Marty and Daryl returned to the house and called a meeting in the living room for the entire family. Marty looked as intense as Daryl had ever seen him and he stood up to address the situation with the family.

He began, "Daryl and I have just returned from McGrady. It appears that no one remaining survived. The majority of the town has been reduced to burned rubble and all of the men and boys appear to be dead. We didn't find one female amongst the bodies and believe that whomever did this has taken the women and little girls for inappropriate reasons."

Viv, Isabella, and Anna all gasped in horror at Marty's revelation. Anna then asked the next question, "Who do you think has taken them, and where do you think these people are?"

Daryl answered quickly, "Laurel Springs apparently has some sort of army built up, and we think they are the ones who cleared out McGrady."

Anna replied, "But Laurel Springs is a tiny town twenty five miles from here. How would they build up an army and what would lead you to think that who ever did this was from Laurel Springs?"

Marty interjected, "Wylie Simpkins."

Anna looked at her Uncle and then responded, "The dead boy that tried to kill Daryl. I don't see how finding one dead teenager with a Laurel Springs ID could lead you to think that they have built up an army. There are several little towns in the area and some larger towns as well that could have done this."

Daryl got up and went to the other room and then returned with the journal that he had found in Wylie's tent. He extended it to Anna and let her look over the discovery that they had found a few days earlier.

"Shit, I forgot all about the biker connection that the place had. So what the hell are we to do?" Anna said, with a slightly panicked voice.

Marty then spoke up; "Daryl and I are going to go up tonight to see what we can find. If it is bad as we suspect, then we can't risk staying here like we are currently."

Viv spoke, "Honey, what do you want us to do to help out?"

Joe then spoke up, "My suggestion is that we load up all three vehicles with supplies and weapons and be prepared to leave at a moments notice. The women and I can handle that while you guys are out assessing the situation."

Daryl spoke, "Good idea. We can take the Navigator. According to this area map there is an old fire road that leads up to the mountains that over-look Laurel springs, and it cuts the distance down to fourteen miles. The high vantage points will allow us to observe what is going on below, but will still allow us to be at a safe distance where we shouldn't be noticed."

Anna spoke, "Do you think we should stay together from this point on? Maybe we should all accompany you…."

Marty interrupted, "No. It is too dangerous and we are less likely to be noticed if it is just the two of us."

Anna only asked one more question, "What time are you leaving?"

Daryl answered, noticing that she looked upset, "Around five o'clock this evening. We are going to use the cover of darkness and the night vision binoculars to our advantage. We should get back sometime before sun up."

It was already around noontime and Daryl wanted to spend some time with Anna. He went over and had a quick conversation with Joe and Marty, and Anna saw Marty nod in agreement with whatever Daryl had asked him.

Daryl walked over to Anna and told her to let Viv take care of the baby and to follow him. She nodded and then went and gave the little girl a quick kiss goodbye. She could tell by Daryl's actions that he was tense. She sensed that he had concerns about them separating, but that he knew it had to be done so that they would have a complete picture of what exactly they were dealing with. It saddened her to know that they might have to leave their comforts on the mountain, but if survival meant heading back out on the road, then she would go with no questions asked.

Anna followed Daryl outside where he was getting the Gator ready for the two of them to leave the house for a while. He put the cooler that was still packed from earlier on the back and motioned for Anna to join him. He wasn't really talking much, and his eyes were checking everywhere for any type of potential risk. Daryl was on high alert and his intensity and lack of communication made Anna a bit nervous.

"Daryl, talk to me babe. Don't shut me out right now. I need to know what you are thinking." She said.

He took a deep breath and then looked at Anna, "I'm scared. Fuck it all to hell, I'm terrified. I don't give a shit what happens to me, but I am scared for you and Hunter. If these bastards took all those women and little girls, it doesn't take much of an imagination to know what they are doing with them. It's bad enough to rape the women, but the little girls…? That is sick. And I think if they got their hands on you and Hunter, the fact Hunter is a baby wouldn't stop em. It would kill her, and I don't know if I could stop it."

Anna could hear the terror in his voice. He was breathing rapidly and finally pulled the vehicle over and began to beat the steering wheel with his fist. "Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck. I can't handle this."

She reached out gently and touched his arm, trying to soothe him. Very calmly she spoke to him, "Daryl, I need you to focus on calming down. You won't do anyone any good in your present condition. If we have to leave, then we leave. It could be as soon as tonight, I don't care, but we protect our own and we don't take unnecessary risks." She then slowly scooted herself over to him and wrapped herself around him, resting her head on his chest.

Daryl responded by pulling her into him tightly. He was so tightly wound right now that his body was shaking with adrenaline coursing through his veins. Nothing had ever been as precious to Daryl Dixon as Anna, Hunter, and even her family. But this intense love that he felt for them, also brought on something that Daryl wasn't used to feeling, fear. He had experienced fear as a kid growing up, but he could predict what the outcome was generally going to be, but he had no idea what the future held for them and that was what was causing him this unexplained terror.

Anna continued to talk to him in soothing tones, similar to how she would calm Hunter when she was upset. She gently ran her fingers across his chest, and through his hair. She had to do something to reassure him that everything was going to be OK. She knew that Daryl hadn't experienced many close relationships in his life, and the few people that he did let in were either dead or back at the prison.

He hadn't said too much about the group at the prison in recent weeks, but she knew he must have been missing them. Daryl had been with them for close to three years prior to leaving with her, and he loved them like family as well. She knew he had thought of Rick as another brother, especially after losing Merle and being forced to permanently end his brothers existence. She wondered if he was having second thoughts about leaving them behind. She didn't doubt that he loved her, and she knew that he would never abandon her and Hunter, but it had to be weighing on him heavily not knowing if they were safe or not. A thought popped into her head and she spoke softly,

"Daryl"

He didn't respond for a few seconds, then he finally spoke, "Yeah baby girl?" he said hoarsely.

"I was thinking. It wouldn't hurt if we had reinforcements here with us if we decide to stay on the mountain. Do you think we could go and check out the other houses up here and then maybe if possible, we could find a way to bring your family from the prison up here to live. We could have our own little community and I know that Hunter would have another child to grow up with."

His breathing calmed down and he looked deep into her eyes. He was speechless. She had read his thoughts and he was surprised that she would even consider inviting them back here, especially after how badly they had treated her when he found her a few months back.

"I was going to talk to you about that, but didn't know how you would feel. I would like that very much, but only if you are comfortable with the idea." He said.

"I'm more than comfortable with it. I think it is a great idea. We should have thought about it earlier, but with everything that has been going on I had been too busy to give it much thought. I know Rick and I didn't hit it off too well, but I think he was cracking under all the stress of keeping the group safe. You had mentioned that they were in some sort of battle with that Governor guy, and I just think that my timing sucked. I trust your judgement Daryl. Why don't we go check out the other houses and see if they are viable options" Anna suggested.

Daryl seemed to relax after Anna's suggestion. They would work out the logistics of how to handle everything after Daryl and Marty returned in the morning. Anna led him to the different homes located on the mountain. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it, they were all unoccupied. Other than her parent's home, most of the homes up here were vacation homes.

Some of the homes offered spectacular views of the valley below or the higher mountains off in the distance. There were also a few homes that were nestled deeply within the woods at the lower elevation of the mountain. Daryl couldn't deny that if he were able to get his group up here, they would all have plenty of privacy. All of the homes had been set up to be self- sufficient similar to Gus's house. Anna told him that they lost power a lot up here and it could take weeks sometimes to get it restored so most people chose to have a backup source of power. It really could be a perfect set up, and he thought that it would be a pleasant change from the cold gray walls of the prison.

After they had checked out the homes they headed back to the house. It was close to two and Daryl would be leaving in a few hours with Marty. Anna wanted him to get some rest before he left. She could detect that he was beginning to push himself again like he was before he had gotten injured. She also knew he wasn't at one hundred percent yet, but he wouldn't let on.

When they walked back into the house she took Hunter from her Aunt and pulled Daryl into their room so that they could have some privacy. He seemed much calmer now and she felt relieved. She had been worried that he would have put himself in danger if he had left out with Marty in the state that he had been in earlier.

She pulled off her shirt and began to nurse Hunter. Modesty had gone out the window weeks ago, she just tried to keep herself covered up when her Uncles were around. Anna had been slack in pumping breast milk the past few days, and as a result she had let the baby's supply dwindle and she had been experiencing painful engorged breasts. Nursing Hunter like this actually was helping to relieve some of the tenderness she had been experiencing. With everything going on, she was going to have to put forth more of an effort to keep up with a nursing schedule.

Hunter was nodding off, so Anna laid her down in her bassinet and then lay down with Daryl snuggling into him as he lay on his back. She took her hand and slid it up under his shirt and ran her fingers across his stomach. He let out a soft moan as the soothing feeling of her touch sent shivers down his body.

Daryl reached for Anna and rolled her onto her back as he hovered above her. She could see the look in his eyes and knew what he wanted from her. He dipped his head down into the crook of her neck and began sliding his tongue across her collarbone. She responded immediately to his touch and reached up and fisted her hands into his hair. Their lips crashed together and she began to slide his shirt over his head, exposing his torso. She slid her hands up his stomach and then across his chest. She could feel his erect nipples in her hand and it caused her to feel immediate sensations in her stomach. God she couldn't get enough of this man.

Daryl reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it off over her head. She had put her hair up that day in a clip, and he removed it so that her hair cascaded down around her shoulders and her chest. She looked so damn sexy to him. He reached behind her and unclasped her bra exposing her firm breasts and her pert nipples. He groaned at the sight of them.

"You are so fucking beautiful" he whispered into her ear.

She responded by pulling his mouth down to her right breast and allowed him to flick his tongue across it gently. She arched her back in pleasure and could feel her core building with heat. She began to tug at his belt and pants and he helped her get them off quickly, tossing them in the corner of the room. His manhood was straining against the front of his boxers and she made quick work of those as well, tossing them into the growing pile of clothes in the corner.

Before she knew it, they were both completely naked and covered in sweat. Their passion now was overtaking all of their senses. She bucked her hips up towards Daryl, who now held the dominant position over her. She could feel her own wetness flooding her inner folds and was practically begging for Daryl to penetrate her core.

He picked up on her desperation and reacted immediately. He thrust his pulsating thickness into her in one quick push. She screamed out in pleasure as he plunged inside of her. Her walls were slick and hot and Daryl thought he would explode at the sensation of her silky wetness. In an attempt to feel him deeper inside of her, she threw her legs up and wrapped her feet and knees around his hips and back. With each thrust inside of her, she matched with a thrust of her own.

Daryl was buried to the hilt as he moved inside her. Her breathing was erratic and his head was spinning in delight. He could feel himself starting to lose control, and sensed she was getting close too. He slid his hand down and moved two fingers across her nub repeatedly, causing her legs to shake and she then let out a scream that would wake the dead. Her face contorted and her legs locked around him as she gave into her orgasm. He could feel warmth spreading inside of her and that sent him into his own frenzied release as well. With one final plunge he let out a deep groan and then collapsed down on top of her.

After a few moments, he gently slid his still semi-erect member out of her and fell onto his back. They were both trying to catch their breath and were glistening with sweat. Smiles graced both their faces and there wasn't anything either of them wanted to do right now except doze off into a deep sleep. Unfortunately, they didn't have that luxury right now.

He would be leaving soon, and dread filled both of them. They were so in sync with each other and it pained them both to be separated, but Daryl was going to have to get prepared to leave in about an hour with Marty. They both needed the intimacy that they had just shared, and she said a silent prayer that it wouldn't be the last time that they were together.

Anna always tried to be optimistic, but reality was that tomorrow was not guaranteed. Marty and Daryl were hoping that they wouldn't run into any problems on their mission, but no one really knew if that was possible. She had to trust in her faith, and in her husband's abilities that he would return to her safely. It was the only thing that would get her through the next few hours. They couldn't afford to think about the big picture right now, but had to focus on each individual task at hand, and right now the task was for Daryl and Marty to see what they were dealing with and return home safely.

**Thanks for reading and I hope you keep enjoying this story. Feel free to share with your friends or anyone you think would enjoy it!**

**And as usual, please leave me a review and let me know how I am doing, or if something doesn't make sense.**

**Love and Kisses to each of you-**

**Missy XXOO**


	40. Chapter 40

**Holy Cow...up to Chapter 40 already. Just as a warning, there are some hints at violence in this chapter. **

They were greeted with knowing smiles when Anna and Daryl emerged from the bedroom. Daryl received a few pats on the back from the Uncles who were fighting hard to conceal their smiles. Apparently their lovemaking had been anything but quiet and everyone in the house was treated to their very verbal cries of passion. Anna blushed when she realized that their afternoon delight was now probably going to be a topic of discussion with her aunts.

She glanced at Daryl and he actually seemed to be walking with a little strut in his step. Oh well, with how he made her feel earlier he should be proud of his accomplishments. The boy was a quick study.

All joking aside, Marty took Daryl down to the basement to the weapons room. Joe followed behind them and when Anna attempted to go with them, her Aunt's persuaded her to stay back.

"Let's allow them to focus. They don't need any distractions right now, and the way you are glowing, you wouldn't be anything but a distraction for Daryl. You can tell us all about it after they leave. I need details." Isabella joked trying to get Anna focused on something besides Daryl.

Marty opened a closet in the weapons room, exposing various articles of clothing that were in vast arrays of camouflage.

"Here, this should fit you" Marty said as he handed Daryl a set of camouflage pants and shirt. Joe reached up on a shelf and pulled down some face paint and handed it to Daryl as well. After about ten minutes they were dressed- out head to toe like Navy Seals. Joe went and pulled the Navigator around to the back so they could load up their supplies.

Daryl hadn't used his crossbow in weeks, but felt that it would be a good weapon of choice. It always managed to give him a sense of comfort to have it with him. He loaded it up in the vehicle with the other weapons that Marty and Joe had chosen for them to take.

Each man was equipped with two sniper rifles, two knives, a couple of handguns, and extra ammunition. They also each had a hand held radio and infrared night vision goggles as well as a pair of night vision binoculars. They would be hiking the last mile or so in the dark to get to the ledge that had the best view of Laurel Springs.

Joe would stay behind with the women and monitor all of their activities on the radio. They were to report in at least every thirty minutes and let everyone know their status. If they detected that there was even a hint of danger, then they were to abandon the mission immediately and return back to the house.

On the other side of the spectrum, if Joe or anyone detected that they were in danger at the house, then they would leave the premises immediately and proceed to one of three safe areas that had been pre-determined. They had a different location mapped out for an escape route to the north, south, or east. West was out of the question since it led directly to McGrady and Laurel Springs.

Joe brought the Navigator back around to the front of the house and Marty and Daryl went back upstairs to the main part of the house to say their goodbye. Daryl took Hunter from Isabella and kissed his baby girl on the cheek, forehead, and on each of her little hands and feet. His precious daughter helped him to keep focused on the importance of what he and Marty were about to do.

Anna went to retrieve Hunter from Daryl and was immediately pulled into an embrace. She closed her eyes and just let him hold her close. She could feel his heart beating rapidly and she knew he was nervous, but he would never admit it.

She finally spoke, "Hey Rambo, make sure you come back to me in one piece. I've got a honey do list a mile long for you to finish." She winked and gave him a swat on the ass.

"Don't ya do anything crazy while I'm gone. If Joe tells you to jump, you jump. Your uncles have been through some tough shit in the past and they know how to handle things like this. I will see you tomorrow morning, either back here at the house or at one of the other locations." Daryl told her.

"Ok baby, I love you." Anna said.

"I love you too. See ya soon" Daryl replied.

Marty and Daryl loaded into the vehicle and headed out. It was almost completely dark by the time they got to the fire road. Some trees had fell and were blocking the entrance, so Daryl got out to clear a path so they could pass through. As he was moving some of the debris, he heard the unmistakable sound of Walkers. He turned around to see three ambling towards him quickly. He immediately proceeded towards the closest one and stabbed it through the eye with the knife he had on his belt. It fell and he had time to go after the second one making its way towards him as Marty jumped out of the vehicle and took out the third.

They moved the bodies off into the woods so that if anyone were to come by they wouldn't be suspicious seeing three dead bodies lying there with knife wounds to the head. They then got back in the vehicle and made their way up the mountain. Marty was not using the headlights, but instead was relying on the night vision goggles to see his way up the fire road.

Daryl's senses were heightened the entire trip up the old abandoned road. The run in with the walkers had started his adrenaline pumping and now he was hyper-aware of everything going on around them. So far though, the only thing that he had spotted was a few deer and various other small game animals. He was impressed with how calm Marty appeared to be. He imagined that in Marty's previous line of work that letting yourself get worked up could lead to a lack of focus which could be disastrous.

They finally reached the end of the road and got out of the vehicle and loaded on their packs and strapped on the weapons. The hike to the overlook was close to two miles. Daryl was thankful for the night vision glasses because without them, it was completely dark. They had the advantage of a new moon, which meant there really wasn't any type of natural light that could expose their location.

They made their way to the overlook and opted to keep low and lay down on their bellies. Marty radioed in to Joe and let them know that they had made it safely and were now setting up for observation. Daryl couldn't help but notice that the air was considerably colder than it had been in the past few days and attributed it to the higher elevation. Both men remained quiet and focused and began a long night of observing the town below.

With the aid of the night vision binoculars and the relatively close proximity of town, they were able to see quite easily the activities of what was happening below them. They could see that there several men milling about the town. All of them were heavily armed and they counted several military vehicles and tanks. Daryl noted to himself that this operation made the Governors set up look like kindergarten.

One thing that Daryl also noted was that it was most definitely a biker group that had control of the town. He counted no less than one hundred motorcycles parked outside the various buildings. The town consisted of a fire station, post office, two motels, two restaurants, and one very large campground. The majority of people appeared to be set up in tents in the campground.

Men were escorting the only women that he observed. He saw several of them being handled roughly and dragged into the smaller of the two hotels. It appeared that the men would keep them there, do their business with them, and then leave and go back to the camp. Even though they were still a pretty good distance away, he could still hear yelling, and what he believed to be screams that were coming from the motel. It was pretty evident that the women were being held against their will and were being treated like sex slaves.

Daryl nudged Marty when he noticed that two men were coming out of the motel dragging a young girl that Daryl estimated to be around thirteen or fourteen. There was no mistaking her screams. One of the men slammed her in the face in an attempt to get her to quiet down her screaming. The girl continued to fight against the men as they continued to drag her away from the motel. She broke free and headed for the woods and the two men took out after her. Fortunately, she was faster than they were and was able to get away.

Marty spoke quickly, "We gotta get her out of there. They are gonna kill her if they catch her."

Daryl nodded, "I'll get her. Just hold the position here and no matter what, don't come after me. If it becomes to risky I'll back off."

Daryl stood up and took a quick look around to determine the safest way to maneuver himself down the side of the cliff. He spotted what he believed to be the remnants of an old hiking trail and proceeded to follow it. He had to watch his footing carefully, which wasn't particularly easy in the dark, even with the aid of the night vision goggles.

It took him about twenty minutes to make his way down to the base of the cliff. He was still protected by the cover of the woods and was able to remain undetected. He stopped and got his bearings and quietly listened to see if he could locate where the girl might be. It didn't take him long to hear twigs snapping and he crouched down in some brush so he could observe which direction she was moving. He spotted her about twenty feet away.

To avoid startling the girl and causing her to scream, he slowly moved out from the brush and came up behind her and covered her mouth as he pulled her to him. The poor girl froze in fear and Daryl quietly whispered in her ear…

"Shhh…. I'm not here to hurt you, but we are going to get you out of this mess. My name is Daryl and my Uncle is waiting with a vehicle to get you away from here. Just please don't make a sound or there won't be anything I can do to protect you."

Not sure of what the girl's reaction would be, Daryl was relieved she relaxed slightly and nodded. She was filthy and covered in scratches and dressed in tattered clothes. She was younger than he expected, and he guessed her to be between ten to twelve years old. He was sickened by the thoughts of what those men were going to do with her.

Daryl took the girls hand and led her back to the old hiking trail. It took them close to an hour to make it back up to Marty's location. The child had to be exhausted but she remained quiet and didn't complain. Daryl had tried to maintain a much slower pace so she could keep up and he could avoid carrying her.

Once he got her up to the over look he handed her some food and water, which she ate greedily. Her actions were almost feral and he wondered just how long she had been kept against her will or what awful things she had been exposed too. Daryl was all too familiar with the fear that the young girl was experiencing. He had lived it his entire life and he was now faced with the overwhelming need to protect the child.

Marty had radioed into Joe and let him know that Daryl had returned safely and that he had the child with him. Daryl heard Joe's relief on the other end of the radio and was glad that he wasn't angry with them bringing back another person. Then again, he realized that this family welcomed everyone and a young girl who had just been plucked out of the pits of hell would be no exception.

Marty came over and took off his jacket and covered the little girl. He spoke softly too her and asked her name.

"Carrie. Carrie Ellington. I'm twelve and I think that they killed my mom." She burst out crying and collapsed in Marty's arms. He could tell she was exhausted and traumatized, but he could also sense that she had some resiliency in her as well.

Marty then spoke to her again, "Carrie, it's nice to meet you. We are going to take you away from this awful place. This other man is…"

"Daryl," she said, "He's my angel. He saved me and you're his uncle."

"Yeah sweetheart. You paid good attention. Now we have to hike about two miles to get to our vehicle do you think you can do that? I know you must be tired."

"Yes sir." She said sweetly in her soft voice.

"Ok, we are going to leave now. I want you to hold onto either My or Daryl's hand, and if you get to a point where you are too tired, just let us know and one of us will carry you." Marty said.

She looked up at Marty and asked, "Can I hold Daryl's hand? Will you be mad? He is my angel and I want to be with him." She said.

Marty smiled and took her hand and put it in Daryl's hand. Daryl gently picked it up and led her towards the Navigator. He noticed that she was slowly dragging as they made it about half way to the vehicle. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way. She was asleep by the time they arrived and he gently placed her in the back seat and covered her with a blanket that was in the storage area.

Marty radioed Joe one more time and let him know that they were returning with the little girl. They arrived back at the house just before the sun came up and were greeted by a very relieved Anna and Viv. Viv took the little girl herself and carried her into the house.

Anna ran to Daryl and kissed him passionately. He reciprocated and then wrapped his arms around her. She felt like heaven to him and he didn't think he would ever tire of the feeling of her in his arms.

"Joe told us what you did to save that little girl. Do you ever get tired of being a hero." Anna asked him.

"Pffft…. I ain't no hero. It was the decent thing to do. There were so many times in the past I didn't do the right thing that if feels good to finally have a chance to do it now." He told her.

He was still covered in the camouflage paint on his face, but it couldn't hide how exhausted he looked. He had been up for close to twenty-four hours straight. She led him into the house and upstairs to their room. Before they got ready to settle for the night he excused himself to go find Viv.

"How's she doing?" he asked.

"She's still asleep. I'm going to put her in my room with me and Marty is going to sleep in one of the other rooms. I think there are some old clothes that used to belong to Anna that will fit her at the other house. Ava had held onto everything up in that attic of hers. Maybe she knew something we didn't. I will send Joe and Isabella over there in a few hours to get them. She needs a good scrubbing, but I think she needs to rest most of all." Viv said.

"Sounds like a good plan. Once we can get her comfortable and taken care of I am hoping she can give us some information about what she knows about the place. She's a feisty kid and I am glad we got her the hell away from there." Daryl said wearily.

"You did good Daryl. Now don't you worry about a thing, I've got her now and I will make sure to take good care of her. Now go on up and get some sleep. Your wife missed you terribly." She smiled at him and sent him back towards his room.

Daryl entered the room and Anna already had a hot shower going for him. He stripped off his clothes and ducked into the shower. The hot water pouring over his stiff muscles felt good. He was so tired he thought he could fall asleep in the shower. Anna's voice brought him back to reality. He turned off the water and got out of the shower. Anna handed him a towel and helped dry him off. He slipped on a clean pair of boxers and a T-shirt and Anna guided him to their bed. He collapsed down onto the mattress, too tired to pull the covers up over him. Anna kissed him on the cheek and covered him up. He pulled her close to him and was asleep within minutes. After he got some rest they were going to have to process all the information they had gathered and hope that Carrie could offer them some more insight into the inner workings of the Laurel Springs group.

**If you are continuing to read this story, Thanks a million. Please remember to leave a review and let me know if you like this chapter or any other chapters. **

**Have an amazing night and if you are like me, you are counting down the days until Feb 9 for S4-Part two!**

**Love y'all...**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


	41. Chapter 41

**I'm early today on getting this one too you...**

Daryl awoke alone in the bed. He estimated it was around ten in the morning and figured he had about four hours of sleep. He was still exhausted but there was too much to do to waste time lying in bed. He knew Anna had been up all night so he was going to find and encourage her to get some more rest. There were a lot of decisions that had to be made today and he wasn't sure when any of them would get some decent rest again.

He pulled on his pants and stumbled towards the kitchen area. Joe and Marty had just recently woke up as well and were groggily drinking down coffee that Isabella had prepared for them. Daryl sat down at the table and was immediately provided with a large cup of black coffee as well. He looked up at Viv and gave her a nod of thanks.

Marty began the conversation. The ladies all sat down when he began speaking. This was a group discussion and each person had a say in what the next plan of action would be.

"Well, as previously suspected, they have quite an army built up. We can't take them on with just us, and we can't stay here without reinforcements. So the first question I need to ask is to you Anna, do you know of anyone who you think is still here in this area that you think would have stayed and survived, and who would be willing to take a stand with us?"

"Actually, I do know of a few families that I know wouldn't leave. They were good friends with my parents and also held to the "self-sufficient" mind set that Daddy believed in." Anna said.

Daryl was listening intently on the conversation while the wheels in his head were spinning. He was beginning to formulate a plan but he didn't think Anna was going to like it. So he continued to listen to the conversation before he decided to join into the conversation.

Joe spoke, "So here is the deal, Daryl and Anna can go see if they can make contact with these families today and fill them in on the situation. We have plenty of weapons and ammunition from our supply and Gus's supply, but we could always use more."

Marty then added, "Once we can get the neighbors on board, then I was thinking we could split into three teams. We will keep constant radio contact so that no one loses track of anyone. Viv and I can take a trip to Richmond where I know that we have a surviving pocket of "family" members that would be willing to come down and assist us. My guess is there are about ten guys up there that are well trained and heavily armed. They may even be able to hook us up with some stronger weapons."

Then Joe spoke, "Isabella and I can then go down to Charlotte and see our connections down there. I know that Jimmy 'the Shoe' Castinelli is still down there with his group and the last I had heard, he had about twenty survivors. Several of them were young recruits though and I don't know how well trained they are, but we can work on that. I know for a fact that they ARE heavily armed. We can set everyone up in a camp inside our gates and up at Gus's house for temporary quarters."

Daryl then spoke, "Anna and I can return to my group at the prison. Our leader was a former Sheriff's deputy and a real stand up guy. The group isn't trained like your connections, but they are all fighters. Hell, we cleared out the prison with just a few of us. They have been through hell and were involved in some type of war with this crazy Governor character when I left, but I think they would jump at a chance to relocate up here. Anna and I have discussed inviting them to stay in the other houses on the mountain if it is Ok with everyone."

Viv then spoke, "Is this the same man who threw Anna out when she was eight months pregnant?"

Daryl sighed, he had hoped to gloss over those details, "Yeah the same one. He had some sort of mental breakdown and Anna happened upon us before he was fully over it. His wife died a month earlier giving birth to their daughter. His son had to be the one to put her down. The woman sacrificed herself so that the baby could live. Let one of the girls cut her open to take out the baby, knowing it was gonna kill her. Between that, the responsibility of the group, and the attack from the Governor, Rick was spread too thin. We got a kid Glenn who is a great strategist and a Doctor named Hershel. He's really a vet, but he patched us all up and managed to save Rick's kid when he was shot in the chest."

Anna then added in, "Auntie Viv, I don't have any hard feelings, Not everyone is as open as we are and I don't think that Rick meant anything by what happened. Based on everything Daryl has told me, these are good people who have survived through a lot of bad situations. Plus I think it would be good to have our own little community up here. Hunter would have someone to grow up with."

Marty didn't give Viv a chance to respond, "Fine then, it's settled. We will leave in three days. That will give us time to make local connections, secure the houses, and get everything packed and synchronized. We have radios that are good for long range, the only issue is that we can't block the bands, so we risk other survivors hearing our conversations, so we need to sit down and come up with some code words over the next couple of days and then…"

Carrie coming into the kitchen interrupted them. Viv had let her sleep knowing the young girl was exhausted. Viv ran over to the girl, who was still filthy and ushered her to the table. Like a machine, Carrie sat down and was immediately handed a warm breakfast prepared by Isabella. Daryl thought these two women could do wonders in the hotel and restaurant industry.

Carrie started eating greedily and Viv reminded her to slow down so that she wouldn't make herself sick. The child was a good listener and did exactly as Viv had suggested. Everyone wanted to ask the girl questions, but no one wanted to make her feel uncomfortable. Marty remembered that the child seemed to really trust Daryl so he made a motion for Daryl to see if he could get Carrie to speak.

Daryl cleared his throat, and then began to speak softly to Carrie, "So sweetheart, did you sleep ok?"

Carrie nodded at him as she took a sip of her drink and continued to eat her eggs.

"You know you are safe here with us, right? Those men won't be able to get to you anymore, but can you tell us what you know about them?" Daryl asked her in his most gentle voice. He would never of imagined himself being the 'kid whisperer'.

Carrie looked at them and then spoke; "Can I eat my breakfast first and then tell you? I'm really hungry."

They all laughed at her response, and then Daryl told her that it would be absolutely fine if she finished her breakfast. He looked at her plate and noticed she only had a few bites left. Viv took the chance to ask Isabella and Joe to go up to Gus's and see if they could find some clothes in the attic that would fit Carrie so that she could have something to wear. When Carrie heard she was getting new clothes, her face brightened up considerably. Yep, she was a typical twelve-year old girl.

She finished up her breakfast and then posed the question back to Daryl, "So what do you want to know? And thank you Miss Isabella, that was great."

So Daryl started, "For starters, why were you running from those men and where were they taking you?"

Carrie took a deep breath, "They were going to take me to Damian. All the young girls go to him for their first time. I didn't want to go so I began fighting."

Marty joined in, "Honey, who is Damian?"

Carrie Answered, "The leader. He killed my Dad when they came to Sparta and took us all. They killed all the boys. They came and took us about a month ago. They lock all the girls in that motel and then separate the younger ones from the older ones. It was horrible. I know what they were doing with the other women. I heard them kill my mom. She started fighting one of them off when he hit her, and then he shot her in the head. They threw her body out in front of the building for everyone to see. I didn't see her, but I heard the others talking and I just knew it was my mom"

Viv asked the next question, "Were there any women that were not in the motel?"

Carrie thought for a minute, and then she replied, "Nope, they said women were only good for one thing. I would listen to the men talking outside so I could try to figure out a way to get out. I know that they said they had one hundred and twenty seven men and sixty- three women. They treated all of us like animals. They would throw us scraps of foods and barely give us water."

Viv gasped at the story that Carrie just relayed.

Anna then asked the next question, "How do they protect themselves from others?"

"They keep shifts. There is only one road in and out of the town, so they have barricades set up at the parkway and at the fire station on the other side of the town. That's why Daryl was able to get to me, no one ever checks the woods or the hills behind the motels. They are kind of stupid if you ask me." Carrie added.

Joe then spoke, "Sweetheart, you just gave us a lot of very valuable information. You were perfect."

The girl beamed with pride. She had big blue eyes and Daryl figured if you scrubbed away the dirt and grime she had blonde hair. She was about the same size as Sophia, as well as possessing similar features co Carol's daughter. It saddened Daryl a little bit when he thought of Carol's daughter. Maybe this was God's crazy way of allowing him to make up for losing Sophia. He didn't know if he was ever going to get over the loss of that girl. He still blamed himself for not being able to find her, but he had to start putting things like that in the past if he was going to be happy in the future.

Viv then spoke, "Well little Miss Carrie, why don't you come with me and let me fix you a hot bath in my tub. We can get you all cleaned up and then you can wear one of my silk robes until Uncle Joe and Aunt Isabella come back with some clothes for you to wear."

The young girl was quick to get up and follow after Viv. Daryl heard her ask if she could wear some perfume too, and of course Viv said yes. Daryl couldn't help but think that Carrie might be as good for Viv as Viv was for Carrie.

The remaining family members continued on with their conversation.

Daryl spoke up, "Well, we now know that they are only protected on two sides and they have appeared to become somewhat cocky because they haven't had any threats against them yet. My biggest concern though is the tanks they have. They can do a lot of damage with those, so we need to come up with a way to take them out or disable them. I have an idea, but this wouldn't happen until we have our reinforcements in order."

"And what is your plan Daryl," Joe asked.

"I go in on my bike and infiltrate them from the inside." Daryl said.

Anna jumped up and Daryl thought she was going to come across the table, "Oh hell no, that is not even a consideration. I will NOT let you endanger yourself like that. You can't even consider an idea like that when you have a daughter and a wife to think about! DO YOU HEAR ME DARYL!"

Daryl had never seen Anna so angry. He pushed his chair back because he actually thought that Anna was going to take a swing at him, "Woah Woah Woah Anna. Calm the fuck down. I AM thinking about you and Hunter. It's the best solution. Look at me, I fit right in with men like that. I've got a kick ass bike that has been fully restored and Guys like that will eat that shit up. It's a good idea. Marty back me up" He pleaded.

Marty ran his hands across his face and into through his hair, "Anna girl, it is a good idea. It's our best chance. If there are locals in the group, none of them would recognize Daryl, and he does fit the part. I hate to say it, but I totally agree with him?"

"Fuck Uncle Marty, how could you? You would willingly let him go in KNOWING he has a high likely-hood of not coming out? I can't believe you."

Joe then spoke, "Anna, I know you are angry, and I know you are worried, but this makes the most sense. We will be sure that we provide proper cover for him. He will probably only need to be there for just a few hours. Hopefully we wouldn't need anymore time than that. We already know that they have weak defenses from the West and East Side, so if we disable the tanks, then all we need to do is take out the roadblocks and we can decimate them and let those poor women go."

Anna was defeated. She knew what her Uncles were saying made sense, she just didn't want to risk anything happening to Daryl. It was selfish on her part, but she couldn't help it.

"Fine. I'm not happy about this, but I'm not going to waste anymore-precious time with Daryl being angry. It scares me to death, but I swear if anything happens to him I am blaming the both of you." She said.

Marty responded simply, "Fair enough baby girl. But nothing will happen, I promise."

Marty hoped he was right.

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Not a lot of action, but we are getting closer to reuniting Daryl with the group. Wonder what he will find when he gets back?**

**Thanks for reading and all the Reviews and Support...Share with your friends if you like the story!**

**Have an awesome Monday-**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


	42. Chapter 42

**I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS...**

Anna was still pissed. No, she was beyond pissed. How could Daryl make a decision like this? She knew it was a good idea, but why did it have to be Daryl. What if she lost him too? She picked up a shoe and slung it across the room. It hit the closet door with a loud bang. Soon she began picking up one thing after the other and slinging it around the room. Anna-Maria Dixon was throwing a temper tantrum.

Daryl heard the sounds of glass breaking and loud banging from the kitchen and raced towards the bedroom. He entered the room just in time to duck an alarm clock coming at his head. He rushed over to Anna and grabbed her wrists before she could throw anymore items. Hunter was screaming in her bassinet and Anna was swearing in what Daryl believed to be Italian. He didn't even know she knew how to speak Italian.

"Hey stop!" He finally hollered at her. "You are upsetting everyone and now you have Hunter all riled up. What has gotten into you?"

"Are you kidding me?" She said. "You volunteer for a suicide mission and I am supposed to be OK with it?"

"You said you weren't gonna waste time being mad, so don't be mad." He replied.

"Fuck you Daryl. I can't let this go. I can't let YOU go. You are not invincible. I am not going to let another person I love die because they feel the need to protect me." She pleaded.

"Anna, listen to me. It's not just you, yeah, you're the most important part, but until these assholes are gone, there are at least sixty three women and children at risk, along with anyone else in this valley that is lucky enough to have survived the virus. If there was another way I promise you I wouldn't do this. But those tanks HAVE to be destroyed, and we don't have anything to take them out, So I have to go in to get close enough to disable them."

"But, I, awww fuck, I don't know what to say. Why do you have to right about this?" She broke down sobbing. She had written him off already and they were still weeks away from him being able to begin acting on their plan.

Daryl went over to her and scooped her up to him. He was amazed at how small she suddenly felt. He took a good look at her and realized she looked worn out.

"Hey sweetie, why don't you lie down and take a nap, I will watch after Hunter. We can go look for your neighbors later on. I don't think you got much sleep and I think you will have a clearer head if you get some rest. I know I am going in there alone, but I won't be alone, I will have plenty of back up. I promise everything will be fine."

He guided her over to the bed and pulled back the covers and laid her down. Once he covered her up he gave her a sweet kiss on the forehead and whispered, "I love you baby, I ain't going nowhere."

Daryl then retrieved Hunter and began soothing her. She reacted immediately to his touch and calmed down quickly. He picked up her diaper bag and headed down the hall with her and went into the formal living room. Joe and Isabella had gone up to Gus's house and Viv was in her room with Carrie, probably playing dress up.

He found a baby blanket and laid it out on the floor and placed Hunter on it. He was tickling her belly and she was giggling at the funny noises Daryl was making to entertain her. He truly loved his little girl and he would never tell Anna, but he was indeed nervous about going directly into Laurel Springs. For once in his life he truly did care if he lived or he died. He had so much now to live for, but if his death meant that they would be safe, then he would die willingly.

Anna slept for a couple of hours. Daryl had been right, when she woke up she felt a little better, and less emotional. The first thing she did was clean up the mess she made in the room. Then she took a quick shower and decided to make herself look presentable. If they were going to see neighbors she wanted to at least make a good impression. She let her hair hang down in curls and even slapped on a little bit of makeup. She finally felt human again.

She went to find Daryl and found him asleep on the couch in the living room with Hunter asleep on his chest. She hated to wake him up, but they really needed to get going if they were going to go talk to the neighbors. Quietly, she picked up Hunter and went and sat down in one the chairs and began to breast feed the baby.

Daryl woke up shortly there after slightly alarmed that Hunter was missing, but he quickly noticed that Anna was just a short distance away feeding the baby. He didn't get a chance to speak before Anna spoke first,

"Daryl, I am so sorry for acting like a complete Bitch. You were right, I was over tired and I totally freaked out. I'm still scared, but I am trusting that you will return safely to me and to our daughter, and I know my Uncles will have your back."

"I reckon you were entitled to one meltdown. I mean, it is a serious matter. But I don't want to talk about it no more until it's time to go. Let's enjoy life one day at a time for now. How you feeling about going back to Georgia in a couple of days?" He asked her.

"I'm fine with it, as long as I'm with you I'm happy. I used to love car trips anyway, so I am actually looking forward to it. Maybe we can stop at some of the places we stayed at on the way up here." She said.

"Yeah babe, that's a real good idea as long as it is safe. We didn't have too much trouble getting up here and maybe we will be lucky going back. You know you are a truly amazing woman. You didn't have to agree to let them come back here." Daryl told her.

"Well, I don't own this mountain, and these people mean a lot to you, so they mean a lot to me too. It's not like you left behind some crazy girlfriend or something." She joked.

"Nope, no girlfriend. In fact no girlfriend anywhere ever. If I had known sex felt so damn good I might have tried earlier." He teased.

"Fuck you Daryl, the sex is good because it is with me, and you need to keep that in mind." She told him in a matter of fact tone.

"I know, and I wouldn't want it with anyone else either. Your mine now woman, so your stuck with me." He replied.

"Well I know I'm the luckiest woman to survive the apocalypse, because you are freaking awesome at it. I might need to read that book Aunt Isabella gave you. Hell we could become sex Athletes or something."

"Now that is a sporting event I wouldn't mind participating in." He said. He was starting to get more than a little turned on by their banter and the fact that Anna was sitting there with her breasts exposed. Anna sensed his arousal and shook her head.

"Down boy, we got things to do. Save it for later."

"You know you look amazing with your hair down like that. I can't keep my eyes off of you." He told her.

"Woah boy, All that sweet talk is going to lead to something." She said. Now she was starting to get turned on too.

"I think I am gonna go take a cold shower before we leave." Daryl said, not joking.

It was now about two in the afternoon and they were heading out to see if they could locate some of the neighbors. They decided to take Daryl's truck because it didn't look as intimidating as the black Navigator with the tinted windows. Daryl felt nervous being out of the confines of the house with just Anna, but she was the one that the people would recognize and she knew how to find them.

She decided that the best approach was to go to the neighbors that were the farthest out and work their way back towards the house. The first family they were going to see was the Blevin's family. They were probably the wealthiest family in the area, and one of the most established as well. They owned several lumber supply businesses as well as many properties throughout the county.

They approached the property, and it was heavily gated and fenced in. She got out of the truck and stood at the gate for a moment and then waved at a camera that seemed to be functioning. The gate soon opened and she jumped back in the truck and Daryl proceeded up the driveway.

When they got to the main house, a large dark-haired man in his late forties greeted them. He was armed with an Armalite M-15 rifle. Daryl knew they cost well over a thousand dollars and couldn't believe he was actually seeing one up close. Unfortunately, he would rather be behind the rifle instead of in front of it.

"Now y'all just hold real still for a minute. Anna Martinelli, is that you?" the man said.

"Yes Thomas it is, but I am Anna Dixon now. This is my husband Daryl. We came to talk to you about some problems going on in the area that are going to effect all of us." She spoke strongly to convey the importance of the visit.

Thomas lowered the weapon and motioned for the two of them to come into the house. Just as Anna had said, everything was self-sufficient. The house was a stone fortress that was operated off of Solar power, generators, and heated by a giant fireplace and wood stove. They walls were covered in antique tapestries and old family portraits and all the furniture was top- notch leather. It looked like the ultimate man cave and Daryl couldn't help but marvel at how these people were living.

Thomas motioned for them to take a seat, then he hollered for his wife Phyllis to come join them. Phyllis was a larger framed woman that Daryl would describe as handsome. She didn't have delicate features like Anna, but she wasn't unattractive either. She reminded him of someone who would work with horses. When she saw Anna she immediately pulled her into an embrace.

Anna filled them in on all the details of Gus and Ava's death, a toned down version of what happened with Marco, and the fact that her Uncles had returned with their wives. People in the area knew of Gus's brothers, and that they ran some type of business up north, but they never verbally acknowledged what type of business they were into specifically.

Daryl then took over the conversation and explained what had happened with McGrady and what was going on in Laurel Springs. He told them about the women being kept against their will and all the other details of what he and Marty had found out last night up on the ridge.

Thomas spoke, "So what do you need from us? You name it we are behind you one hundred percent. We can't let these low-lives take our way of life." Phyllis walked over to her husband and placed her hand on his shoulder and nodded in agreement.

"Do you have a radio so we can keep in contact?" Daryl asked.

"Absolutely." He responded.

"Ok, we have four other families we are going to get together with today about the same thing. Once we are sure everyone is on the same page, then we will contact you and set up a meeting. We are trying to gather more reinforcements from some trusted outside folks, and then we plan on going after these Mother fuckers hard." Daryl said.

"Boy I like your grit, are you sure you didn't grow up around here?" Thomas chuckled.

"Wish I did. I like y'all, your some tough sons of bitches." Daryl replied back.

Thomas shook Daryl's hand and gave Anna a quick hug as they left. One family down, four to go. It was going to be a busy afternoon, but they were excited at how receptive the Blevin's family had been.

It was dark before they had managed to return home that evening. They had managed to locate and get all five families on board with them. Lee and Judy Carson were ex-CIA and military trained experts, and armed to the hilt. They were also Gus and Ava's closest friends, so they were on board no questions asked.

Then there was The Mocksley family. They lived so far off the grid that there wasn't even a clear pathway to their house. The only way to get to their location was via four-wheel drive. They too had been close to her parents and were eager to help out. They had five sons that were all excellent marksman, avid hunters, and still young and agile. Daryl thought that this family was a gold mine of reinforcements. The hunting trophies that were displayed all over their house had impressed him. He had always wanted to go on a hunting trip out west or to Alaska, but guessed that probably wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

The last two families were regular locals. They were simple folk like he was, and they were devoted to protecting their community and their way of life like the generations before them. The Pruitt's consisted of a husband and wife team named James and Martha and they were in their early fifties. They were quiet, but friendly and Daryl would describe them as devout Christians. Martha had been close with Ava and was visibly upset when Anna had told her of the fate that fell upon her mother. As they others before them, they agreed to help out as well.

The last family they met was also the most awkward meeting of the day. Timmy Sanderson and his wife Buffy were local Marijuana growers. Anna had warned Daryl not to make any sudden movements because Timmy had the property booby-trapped to protect his crop from anyone who would be attempting to steal from him. Timmy was in his late thirties and was the stereo typical mountain boy. Apparently he had dated Anna in high school and had even gone so far as to take her to the prom. Knowing Anna, and seeing Timmy and imagining him taking her to the prom actually gave Daryl a good laugh. He was gonna have to ask her if she had pictures of that night.

When Daryl had explained to Timmy the reason they were there, Timmy actually looked excited at the thought of getting to kill someone. He was so happy to help out He acted like Daryl had given him a Christmas gift. This man was so redneck he made Daryl look like an aristocrat. He was gonna give Anna a hard time about him later on, there was no way he could resist.

When they got inside the house Anna rushed to feed Hunter. She was exhausted but excited at the same time. It had felt good to reconnect with friends from her past and Daryl handled himself like a champ. He could be quite charming when he wanted to be.

After she was done feeding Hunter, she dragged herself to the kitchen where her aunts had prepared dinner and had just sat down to eat. Daryl relayed all the happenings of the day to everyone and Anna was more than happy to let him handle all the talking. She really was worn out and really just wanted to curl up and go to sleep. She barely was able to eat her dinner. Daryl noticed she was dragging and became a bit concerned. He quickly excused himself and motioned for her to follow him. He asked Isabella to look after Hunter for a few minutes so he could check and make sure his wife was OK.

When they got to the room he placed a hand on her forehead and noticed she felt feverish. He suddenly felt guilty for pushing her so hard today. He stripped her clothes off and put her in the tub. After she seemed to relax, he got her out of the tub, toweled her off, and then dressed her in some warm clothes. He brought her to bed and laid her down and then covered her up with extra blankets.

He found Viv and told her that Anna was sick and asked if she had a thermometer. Viv grabbed some ibuprofen and water along with the thermometer and headed to the room with Daryl. She went over to her niece and took her temperature and was alarmed that it was reading 102. Anna was now visibly shaking and Viv had her take the pills and told her to try to rest.

Daryl spoke to Viv, "What do you think it is?"

"She is showing symptoms of the flu, which isn't good. She has been feeding Hunter all day and I am afraid that she may have passed it on to the little girl. We have to keep a close eye on her. And Daryl, You too. If you start feeling bad, don't hide it from me. You know how contagious it can be and we are all living here in close quarters. With limited medical supplies it will be hard to treat. She could be sick for a full week before she starts to feel better. We need to wait until everyone is healthy before we hit the road." Viv said.

Daryl nodded in agreement and promised he would let her know if he started to feel bad. He stayed with Anna until she fell asleep, and then went to find Marty to let him know what was going on. This had the potential to be a disaster if they had to delay their trip. They would need time to recuperate, and right now time was not on their side.

**Well I didn't receive much response on my last chapter and don't know if it was because I posted it so early in the morning, or if it just sucked. Anyhow, if it sucked, let me know so I can do better next time. I am watching the TWD marathon and gaining inspiration for the next few chapters...I am trying to determine if I want to somewhat follow the Canon of what happened at the Prison with Hershel and the group, or if I want to strike out on my own plot line...Let me know what you think..**

**Thanks for reading-**

**Missy XXOO**

**And a special thanks to pharmtechgrl71, pantherbabe4ever,DarylDixon'slover, Sillgabby, wildwolfrose, Chachi94 and the anonymous guests who have left awesome and encouraging reviews. You help inspire me to keep writing.**


	43. Chapter 43

**Happy New Year everyone...we are getting closer to the reunion with our old friends at the prison. Just be prepared to deal with a lot of emotion when this happens. **

Because of Anna's sickness, Daryl and Marty were out on the back porch discussing the possibility of delaying when they were going to leave. Marty agreed completely that everyone needed to be healthy before they headed out. Joe came out onto the porch and joined the conversation. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Daryl, who nodded his head and thankfully took one from him. He lit the cigarette and inhaled the smoke deeply into his lungs, suddenly encompassing him with a feeling of relaxation.

Joe had made radio contact with the neighbors and they all agreed to meet at Gus's house in the morning at ten to discuss all the details of what the plans would be. Other than the fact that Daryl thought Timmy Sampson was a loose cannon, he was excited about the prospect of working with the other neighbors. They all seemed like good down-to-earth people and had a sense of community and survival that would bode well for them while attempting to destroy Laurel Springs.

Isabella came out onto the porch and addressed Daryl,

"Um Daryl, I'm going to keep Hunter with Joe and me tonight, I think you need to go to Anna right now, Viv's in there with her."

Daryl could sense by the tone in her voice that something was wrong, he jumped up and ran through the house to their room. Anna was suffering a seizure and Viv was trying to keep her subdued so that she wouldn't hurt herself.

"Daryl, Grab her legs and hold her still. She has to come through this on her own." Viv barked out.

Daryl froze, he had not been expecting this at all, He knew she had a fever, but he had thought that a couple of pills and some rest would take care of the problem. Now he was staring at the women he loved, the woman that he adored, convulsing on their bed.

"Daryl, NOW, I need your help." Viv demanded.

Daryl grabbed her legs, which were flailing and held onto them as tightly as he could. Viv held her arms down and had placed a wash cloth into her mouth to keep her from biting down on her tongue. Daryl kept thinking to himself that this was some horrible dream. This couldn't be happening to his beloved Anna. If he lost her he didn't know what he would do. Could he continue to live without her? Physically yes, but mentally he wasn't so sure. He had his daughter to think of, but at the moment all he could focus on was losing Anna.

Apparently Viv picked up that Daryl was struggling with the situation. He heard her yell for Marty and realized that everyone with the exception of Carrie and Hunter was now in the room trying to care for Anna. Joe pulled Daryl away and Marty took over holding Anna's legs. The seizure began to pass and Anna slipped into sleep. Viv determined that Daryl didn't need to be in the room right now and had Joe take him out.

Daryl broke out of his stupor and began to protest, "No, I ain't fucking leaving, I need to be with her."

Viv yelled at him authoritatively, "Daryl, you are too emotionally involved in this to be any use to her right now. Get out of this room now! Joe will go with you."

Joe placed his hand on Daryl's arm to take him out of the room and Daryl reacted violently. He whirled around and punched Joe in the face. "No! You ain't taking me the fuck away from her." He shouted. Daryl had lost all sense of control and his fear and rage had gotten the best of him. Marty jumped up and grabbed Daryl from behind as Joe had managed to get himself back up off the floor. The two large men subdued Daryl, but he fought like a caged animal. Daryl was cracking up and they needed to get him out of the room quickly. Without thinking, Joe cocked Daryl in the head and knocked him out cold. They took him out of the room and placed him in one of the guestrooms. It wasn't an option either man wanted, but Daryl wasn't going down without a fight.

Daryl came too a short time later. Joe was sitting in the chair beside the bed making sure that Daryl was OK. He hadn't hit Daryl that hard, but did hit him hard enough to do the job. His heart felt bad at what he did, but there had been no other way to control the man.

"How's Anna?" he asked.

Joe replied, "Sleeping comfortably. The girls put her in an ice bath and were able to get her fever down. She is still very sick, and we are all worried about her. But we are worried about you too Daryl. I've never seen you like this before and it isn't healthy for you to react this way."

"Yeah, I know," he said rubbing the side of his head where Joe had landed the punch, "You got a vicious right hook." Daryl was trying to relieve some of the tension. "I acted like an asshole, and that's on me. I had no right. Y'all were just trying to do what was best for Anna and me. I get it."

"Why don't we take a walk and grab a smoke. You could use it." Joe said.

Daryl got up off the bed and followed Joe out to the back porch. Joe handed him the lighter and a box of Marlboros and Daryl lit up his cigarette.

"Joe, I don't know what I will do if I lose her. She's part of me now." Daryl said.

"I know she is, she's part of all of us. But you gotta keep it together for Hunter, because she's your responsibility too. We don't know how long Anna is going to be sick and we don't have that much milk stored up for the baby. We have a few cans of formula, but it won't last forever. We might need to go out on a run if the supplies get too low. This was all unforeseen, but we can handle it."

Daryl knew Joe was right. He was always right. Marty and He had the coolest heads of anyone Daryl had ever met. Daryl made a mental note to try to be more like Marty and Joe. He admired them and thought they embodied everything good men should be. They offered so much more than the fucked up family values that he had grown up with.

Joe poured two glasses of scotch and handed one to Daryl. "Drink up, and then you can go check on your wife. Promise me you won't show your ass anymore tonight."

"I promise. Thanks for being there for me. I'm sorry for hitting you earlier. Sometimes my temper gets the best of me and I am trying hard to leave that part of me behind." He responded.

Daryl downed his scotch and went to see Anna. Viv looked up at him and nodded for him to come into the room.

"She's sleeping. We got her fever down to 101 and we are waking her up every thirty minutes to drink. Are you doing OK now?" Viv inquired.

"Yeah, reckon I owe a lot of apologies to folks. I didn't mean to go off like that. I was scared and over reacted." He said.

"Not a problem sweetie. I know how much she means to you and it couldn't have been easy for you to see her like that. She's gonna pull through just fine. I don't think this is the flu, I think she has Mastitis. We noticed it when we were giving her the bath."

"I'm gonna sound stupid, but what the hell is that?" Daryl said.

"It's an infection in the milk ducts. If they go untreated they can become abscessed, and I think she has a couple of abscesses in her left breast." Viv told him.

Daryl flushed red at the thought of having a conversation about Anna's breast with Viv, but pushed down the embarrassment and asked her a question.

"So what do we do? I think we have some antibiotics up at Gus's house, I can go get them." He said.

"If you know where they are, then I can send Marty up to get them. You should stay here with her. I think that I am going to need to go in and drain the abscesses, which means she isn't going to be able to breast feed for a while, and I am concerned that her breast milk may dry up. That means we are going to need formula, and we just don't have very much." Viv told him.

"I will go on a run tomorrow and get some. Do we have enough until then?" Daryl asked.

"Oh yes, we have about five bottles that she pumped and we have five or six cans of formula. Probably enough to last a few weeks." Viv said.

"How did this happen?" Daryl asked.

"She probably hasn't been pumping enough, and then it can be passed from the baby to the mother through a crack in her nipples." Viv explained.

Daryl cringed. "Well at least we know it isn't contagious. We'll get her better and I will get my little girl some formula and everything will be just fine."

"Sounds good Daryl. I'm going to wait until the morning to drain the infection. Do you know if there was any pain meds with the supply that you have up at the house? We don't have much left here and we will need to be getting some soon." Viv said.

"There were a few, but I will get more when I go to get formula. Just leave it to me." He replied.

Viv left and Daryl went and lay down beside Anna. He wrapped his body around her to provide her more warmth. He continued to lie there until it was time to wake her up and get her to drink. It was comforting to see her sleeping soundly.

A short time later, Daryl shook her gently, "Hey baby girl, it's time for you to drink for me." He said softly.

Anna mumbled and turned her body into his obviously not wanting to make the effort to drink the water that Daryl was offering her. He lifted her up and placed the glass of water to her lips. She drank slowly with her eyes closed, not really appearing to be awake. When she was finished he eased her back down and let her return to her much needed rest.

The next morning Viv came in and drained the abscesses in Anna's breast. Daryl had stayed with her through the procedure. It was obvious that Anna was in a lot of pain, but she tolerated the process well. Viv bound her up and gave her some pain pills, which pretty much assured that Anna was going to be out of it for a while.

As it got closer to mid morning, it was decided that Viv would stay at the house with Anna, Carrie, and Hunter while the rest of them would head to Gus's to meet with the neighbors. Daryl checked on Anna one more time before he left and then the group headed up the mountain to the other house and Daryl took his truck down to the gate to let everyone onto the mountain.

Marty started up the meeting with introductions. Daryl admired the fact that Marty seemed to have natural leadership skills. Rick had excellent leadership skills as well, but Marty had the ability to remain calm and keep his emotions at bay. However, Daryl had to admit that Rick had struggled with much more difficult circumstances than Marty had to deal with so far. Rick had lost his wife and had been forced to kill his best friend. That was enough to fuck with anyone's head.

Marty then went into the details of what they were dealing with in Laurel Springs. "The best we can figure is that they have around 127 men and 63 women and girls that are being held captive in the motel."

Bill Mocksley, the family patriarch spoke first. "Can I ask how you got this information. Those are some pretty specific details."

Joe then spoke, "Daryl and Marty rescued a young girl who managed to escape from the motel. She is quite a fighter and very observant. She would listen to the guards at night to gather information from her surroundings. All the women are being held as sex slaves, and then the younger girls are being taken when deemed "old enough" to the leader, a guy named Damian. I don't think I need to tell any of you what they are doing with these children."

There were several audible gasps from different members in the group. Timmy Sanders spoke up, "I say we go kill the mother fuckers now. They are raping babies."

Daryl would have laughed at Timmy's delivery, but he had to agree with the man's sentiments. It weighed heavily on him knowing the things that were happening to all of these females. Daryl knew that the sooner that they could get in there and free the women, the better it would be for everyone.

Marty then began to speak again, "We know they have tanks, which is probably the biggest hurdle that we are going to have to deal with. Also, we have considerably fewer people than they do, so our plan is to pick up reinforcements. Unfortunately, that is going to take us another two weeks. Daryl is going to take a trip to Georgia to gather up his remaining group and bring them back, which will take the longest duration. Joe and I have business acquaintances that are well versed in this type of situation that are located in Richmond and Charlotte. That should take a couple days tops for us to make those arrangements."

Thomas Blevins stood up to speak, "I think I have something that could help cut down on the time constraints of Daryl driving all the way to Georgia and back."

Daryl spoke, "What? A phone?"

Thomas responded, "No even better, a plane."

"You're kidding me, you've got a plane. Are you able to fly it?" Daryl asked.

Thomas replied. "Course, I'm a pilot. We used it all the time before all Hell broke loose. Depending on what part of Georgia we are going to, we could be there and back in a day. The plane is big enough for fifteen people. We can land close to your former group and hike in. By flying we would completely eliminate the threat of walker attacks and we would also be safe from other outside threats. What do you think?"

"How soon can we leave?" was his short response.

**Thanks everyone for your kind reviews and support. If the medical stuff is incorrect, I'm sorry, I'm just winging it...LOL. **

**Please leave me reviews and if you want, let me know what you think should happen next. I promise no plane crashes!**


	44. Chapter 44

**And so it begins...the reunion...sort of...**

Daryl would by lying if he said he didn't feel a huge sense of relief. A plane, who would have imagined that something so simple could be such a big deal in this, fucked up world. He could be in Georgia and back with the prison group in less than a day. He wouldn't need to risk Hunter or Anna by taking them on the road, and the sooner he returned, the sooner they could rescue those poor women in Laurel Springs.

After the meeting they returned to the house. Daryl would be leaving in the morning to go back to Georgia with Thomas. Joe and Isabella would be going to Charlotte tomorrow, and Marty and Joe would go to Richmond the next day when Daryl returned. This guaranteed that at least one of the men would be with the women at all times. The ladies could take care of themselves, and no one doubted that, but that they didn't want to take a risk.

When he returned to the house he immediately went to find Hunter. He found Carrie playing with her in the living room. She looked up at Daryl as he entered the room and gave him a giant hug. "I missed you Lancelot," she said.

"Lancelot? Why did you call me that." He inquired.

"Because you are my knight in shining armor. I have heard you swear, I know longer think your Angel." She joked. She was a very intelligent girl for being only twelve.

"I don't swear that bad. You should have heard my brother." He joked.

He picked up his little girl and smothered her with kisses. She smiled at her daddy's affection and he whirled her around gently. Carrie laughed at Daryl's good mood. She had witnessed his meltdown the night before and had been concerned that Daryl might still be angry.

Daryl carried Hunter with him to go check on Anna. When he got to the room she was awake and talking to Viv. She looked better, but he could tell that she was uncomfortable. He imagined he would be also if he had to endure what she had gone through earlier that morning.

She looked up at Daryl as he entered the room and smiled at him with their daughter, "Hey baby" She said reaching for the baby.

Daryl looked at Viv to see if it was OK for Anna to take the baby. Viv nodded and Daryl carefully handed the little girl over to her mother. He sat down beside her and wrapped his arm around Anna as she gingerly held Hunter to her chest.

Anna spoke, "I may not be able to breast feed her anymore. I guess that means we are going to have to get some more formula. I'm concerned about changing up her diet, and she might become fussy while she adjusts."

"Yeah, Viv told me. Don't ya worry though, because I will be sure to go on a run to get her some more formula? How are you feeling?" He said as he rubbed her arms softly with his fingertips.

"Like a million bucks." Anna replied dryly.

"Just take it easy baby. You scared the hell out of me last night. You have got to take better care of yourself. I mean it. I don't want anything to happen to you. You mean too much to Hunter and me to risk anything happening to you. You do this again and I will kick your ass." Daryl teased.

"I know I know" Anna replied, "I just get so focused on other things that I forget about stuff sometimes. It was stupid for me to neglect my nursing schedule and now look what I did. I probably won't be able to nurse Hunter anymore and I could kick myself for being so stupid."

"You're not stupid. I take the blame too. I should have been paying better attention to your needs and I shouldn't have been dragging you around for hours at a time knowing you needed to continue to follow your nursing schedule. I feel like a jerk." He told her.

Anna sighed, "Don't put this on yourself. We just have to chock it up to a lesson learned. So how was the meeting with the neighbors?"

"It went really well. I'm going to Georgia tomorrow with Thomas Blevins. He has a plane, and we should be able to be back by tomorrow night with all of the group." Daryl informed her.

"Oh yeah, I completely forgot he had a plane, but is it safe? I mean what about fuel, and airports to land at, things like that?" She asked.

"He says he has all of that handled. I'm just glad it is an option. It's killing me knowing that all those women and children are being held against their will by this Damian guy, and the sooner we can get in and get them out of there, the better. Sick bastards."

"Well I'm glad we have this option. I was panicking because I thought I was going to hold everything up while I got better. Fortunately it appears everything will work out fine." She said.

Hunter started to fuss a bit and Anna informed Daryl that she needed to be fed. Daryl went to take the baby so he could go prepare her a bottle, but Anna didn't want to let the little girl go. "Would you mind just bringing me a bottle. I want to feed her. I have missed just being a mama to her." Anna said.

"No problem babe, I will be right back." He said.

He returned shortly with the bottle and watched as Anna fed the little girl. Just seeing the two of them like this gave Daryl such a strong sense of love. It had taken years for him to finally break down his walls and let others in, and he never wanted these feelings to subside.

He spent the rest of the day with Anna taking care of her. He had told her about his meltdown the night before and Joe cold cocking him to get him under control. Anna sat there in disbelief that it had happened mere feet from her and she had no idea it occurred. She realized how sick she really had been.

Anna was administered some more pain medicine just after dinner and she slipped off into a comfortable sleep. Daryl fed and changed Hunter and set her down in the bassinet for her to sleep. He then went out to the back porch to sit with Marty and Joe and to discuss the upcoming events of the next few days.

Marty spoke, "It is killing me knowing those women are stuck down there and we can't get them out sooner. Part of me wants to go right now and do something, but I know it would be counter- productive. I have no qualms at all about killing every one of those assholes, but I don't want a single one of those women and children to be harmed in any way. We are going to need to come up with a plan to house all of them once we get them out."

Joe then spoke, "I was talking to Blevins about that earlier today. He said he has plenty of properties to house the women. We need to make sure the orphans are placed with responsible adults, and I am sure that a lot of them are going to be dealing with trauma issues. I'm not sure how we are going to be able to handle that aspect of all this."

Daryl lit up a cigarette and thought about the discussion. He had endured terrible trauma as a child, and knew he managed to get through it by using hunting as an outlet. He thought that there had to be someway that the women could learn some skill that would help them feel safer and focus on something besides the horrible life they had all been subjected too in recent weeks and months.

He exhaled smoke and spoke up, "What would happen if we took the time to train them all in methods of self defense and how to handle weapons. It's not much, but it might give them a sense of empowerment that would allow them to feel safe. I wouldn't mind teaching them how to hunt and track so that they would feel like they could take care of themselves if something were to happen again. Hell, we could build our own community militia. If we treated them opposite of how they have been treated by those fuckers holding them, they might regain a sense of self worth."

Marty responded, "You know Daryl, that's not a bad idea. It could be a Win-Win for everyone. I know Viv and Isabella wouldn't mind working with the women and training them. We could too for that matter, but I don't know how they would feel being in such close contact with men after what they have been through."

Joe then spoke up; "I will talk to the Viv, Isabella, and Anna. I know that they would love to take the lead on this and I feel confident that it would help. We need to get the rest of the community involved for this to be a total success. Daryl, you sure you don't have a degree in psychology or something?" Joe chuckled.

"Nah, just grew up in a fucked up situation, and knew if I didn't have hunting as an escape I would have probably gone mad." Daryl responded.

The men talked for a short while longer and then all headed off to their rooms to retire for the evening. Daryl stripped down to his boxers and got in bed beside Anna, who was snoring lightly. He watched her sleep for a minute or two then wrapped his arms around her and tried to sleep. His mind was racing, as he didn't know what to expect tomorrow.

Finally he would be seeing his other family again. These were the people who saved Daryl from himself. They taught him how to care for others, and most importantly, how to trust others. They gave him a sense of self worth that he had never had before. However, as excited as he was to see them all again, he was also nervous. He hadn't intended on being gone as long as he had. It had been over three months since he had last seen them. They relied on him heavily for providing food and for protection. And when he left, it was on strained terms with Rick.

Daryl had managed to fall asleep sometime after midnight. It was close to five in the morning when he woke up. He got up and fed and changed Hunter and then took a shower. He laughed to himself about the fact that he rarely had a chance to shower while he was living at the prison, and now he showered everyday. Hell, he hadn't done that before the apocalypse.

He got dressed, and woke Anna just enough to say goodbye and tell her that he loved her. Joe had awoke early to see Daryl off that morning. He handed him a long-range hand held radio for him to use to keep everyone updated on his progress. Daryl gave Joe a handshake, but Joe being Joe, he pulled Daryl into an embrace. Daryl just relaxed and let the man hug him. He realized this family was all about affection, and had learned to get used to it by now.

Daryl drove the ten miles over to Thomas's home. He arrived at the gate, and Thomas let him. He pulled up to the house and Thomas met him carrying a cooler full of food that Phyllis had fixed. There was also a case full of water and another full box of prepared sandwiches and chips.

"I hope this isn't all for us." Daryl said.

"No, based on what you had told us about your group, Phyllis was worried that they might be hungry, so she wanted to provide them food for the trip up here. She plans on having a full meal ready for them to welcome them tonight." Thomas told him.

"Well that's mighty kind of her. I am sure they will appreciate it." Daryl said.

Daryl and Thomas walked behind the house and Daryl saw the runway that he hadn't noticed the last time that they were there. The plane was set up and ready to go. Thomas had stored some extra fuel just in case they needed it and had everything in good working order. He pulled out some maps and went over the flight plan with Daryl and they located a good place not far from the prison where they would be able to land.

Before they boarded the plane, Daryl asked Thomas a quick question; "Do you mind if I smoke a cigarette before we go?"

"No problem, are you nervous or something?" Thomas inquired.

"Yeah, I ain't never flown before." Daryl told him.

"Awww…it's a piece of cake. You'll love it once you get used to it." Thomas laughed.

"I'll take your word for it." Daryl said.

They boarded the plane and Daryl said a silent prayer. He wouldn't admit it, but he was actually terrified. Daryl had always been somewhat of a control freak, and now he was about to have no control over his fate at all. He just hoped that Thomas was as good of a pilot as he said he was.

"So Thomas, when did you learn how to fly?" Daryl asked.

"I used to play Flight Simulator all the time on the computer, and thought it couldn't be that difficult." Thomas said.

Daryl gasped, "What?"

"I'm kidding Daryl, I was in the Air force for eight years. I used to fly jets. Trust me, we got this." He said easing Daryl's fears.

Thomas fired up the plane and they began to taxi down the runway, he could see Daryl taking deep breaths trying to remain composed. Quickly the plane picked up speed and left the ground. Daryl continued to control his breathing. After about fifteen minutes he seemed to relax and actually began to look like he was enjoying the flight.

Thomas started up a conversation to help Daryl relax, "So tell me about this group of people. Why did you leave them, they seem pretty important to you."

"I met them right after all this shit started happening just outside Atlanta. We have been through a lot. I mean we lost several members, including a little girl, went to war with this Psychopath that referred to himself as 'The Governor'. He built himself a town called Woodbury, which on paper looked great, except he was doing horrible things to anyone that, came around the town. He raped, murdered, and experimented on folks. He attacked the prison and killed some of our people."

Daryl continued, " Rick, our leader, lost his wife during child-birth, and his son had to put her down. He suffered a lot emotionally, and had as near as I could tell had a breakdown. It's amazing he held it together as long as he did. I found Anna in the woods and he didn't want to let her stay. With all he had been through, he was just not able to trust her. So I did what I thought was right, and went with her until she had the baby and I knew she had someplace safe to stay. I reckon you know the rest of the story. They may not be real happy to see me at first, so I am warning you about that now."

Thomas stayed quiet for a few minutes, then he asked, "Do you think there is a chance that they will choose not to come with us?"

"Yeah, there is always that chance. The prison holds a lot of memories for all of us. We shed blood for it. Several of our loved ones are buried there, including my brother. But we just need to convince them that this is a better opportunity. This place is basically untouched compared to what it is like in Georgia." Daryl told him.

"No problem Daryl. I can be convincing if I need to be. We have been lucky up here, and once we can get rid of this Damian Ass-hole, I think we really could rebuild the community and the area. Maybe get back to living normal one day. That's how this country was founded. Only then it wasn't Damian, it was the British." Thomas explained.

It took them just under three hours to come to the landing area about a mile from the prison. The weather had been perfect and Thomas landed the plane with no issues. They loaded up their packs and armed themselves for the mile hike to the prison. It took all Daryl had not to run the mile to get to the prison gates.

Finally, after about twenty minutes the prison gates were finally in sight. Daryl led Thomas up to the front gate and Daryl waved at Rick in the Guard tower. He saw movement in the guard tower and his smile on his face was quickly erased when he had to push Thomas to the ground to avoid a gunshot that just narrowly missed them both.

**Uh Oh...is someone pissed? What do you think? A bit of a cliff hanger here for you. There are going to be a lot of emotions in the next chapter. Do you think Daryl and Thomas will be able to convince Rick and the gang to come back with him? Would you go with him? (I know I would, but that's because it's Daryl Dixon)...**

**Please leave me some feedback, and as usual...please leave a review. **

**And a BIG thanks to all of you who are reviewing religiously for me, and for those guests who are leaving great reviews as well. I personally am offering a great big hug to each of you!**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


	45. Chapter 45

**WOW...100K words, chapter 45, and NOW 100+ reviews. Thank all of you so much. Now let's let the emotions go...The reunion is happening.**

Daryl yelled, "RICK, WHAT THE FUCK, It's me Daryl"

The sound of Daryl's voice caught Rick's attention and he realized that it was not a stranger at the gate. He quickly climbed down from the Guard tower and yelled for Carl to meet him at the gate. Carl ran towards the reinforced gate, his gun drawn, and helped his father open it.

Rick then spoke, "Daryl, we thought you were dead! You've been gone for so long. Thank God your back. Things have gotten bad while you were gone."

Carl jumped in quickly, "Dad, how can you be glad he is back? If he hadn't left we wouldn't be in the mess we are now. Daryl you might as well have pulled out a gun a shot us yourself. I can't believe you abandoned us like that and…"

Rick yelled, "Carl, Shut up NOW!"

Daryl observed both Rick and Carl. Carl look like he had grown a good six inches since he had seen him last. They were both dirty and weary looking and Rick had dark circles under his eyes. Both of them were considerably thinner than the last time he saw them and Daryl wondered how badly they had let their food supplies dwindle.

Daryl finally spoke, "I'm back to get you guys away from this place. This is Thomas Blevins and I met him up where I have been living for the past few months. He is a pilot and has a plane, and we are prepared to relocate everyone. We even have some food back at the plane. What the hell has gone on since I left?"

Carl butted in; "We aren't going anywhere with you Daryl. You did this to us."

Daryl replied angrily, "What did I do? The last time I checked I didn't really have any options when I left."

Rick spoke, much calmer than he had been the last time Daryl had seen him, "We have lost Hershel. We've been starving for the past month and Hershel became sick, and there wasn't anything we could do. Maggie had to put him down. You just need to be prepared Daryl, a lot of people here blame you for that."

"Why would they blame me? I was given a choice of abandoning the girl or protecting her, and I made the right decision. She would have been alone and wouldn't have survived. Rick, YOU made me choose, they can't blame me." Daryl said emphatically.

"I don't blame you Daryl, I blame myself. I wasn't in my right mind when I made that decision. I know that now." Rick said pleadingly.

"Where is everyone?" Daryl asked.

"Most of them are out in back of the prison. The fences have been compromised and they are out there repairing them. We have had several build ups of herds against the fences." Rick told him.

"What about the Governor?" Daryl asked bluntly.

"Dead. Michonne killed him. We almost lost her too though she is still recuperating in the prison. It's been difficult without Hershel's medical skills. Maggie has been tending to her. She is still weak, without proper nutrition it's been hard for her to bounce back." Rick informed him.

"What happened to all the food supplies? When I left we had a few months worth. And why didn't anyone go on any runs to get more?" Daryl inquired.

"We were compromised."

Daryl barked out, "What the hell do you mean you were compromised? How did someone get in here?"

"I let them in. It was an elderly man and a teenage boy. After we lost you, I felt I had made a huge mistake by not letting Anna stay. I tried to make up for it when the man appeared at the gate and told me that he had lost the rest of his family, I took a risk and let him in. He stayed with us for two days, and then disappeared one night with all the supplies."

"Could no one go on any runs or hunt?" Daryl asked again.

" The Governor had us pinned down. Every time we would leave, he or some of his men would ambush us. He had managed to build a new group and he was hell bent on revenge. But you knew he would be Daryl. I completely fucked up. It cost us Hershel, and possibly Michonne."

"When did all this go down with the Governor? Certainly someone could have gone on a run since then?"

"Michonne killed the governor two days ago. Glenn and Tyrese have been gone since yesterday looking for food. We expect them back anytime now. Several of us are sick, and Carol…" Rick told him.

"What about Carol? Is she OK?" Daryl asked in a concerned voice?

"Physically yes, but mentally, She has her moments. Look, I don't know how close you two were physically, but she has created a fantasy in her head and has told us she is pregnant with your child." Rick said.

"What the fuck, I never even touched her in that way. Rick, I married Anna on Christmas day. We are raising her daughter together, and I love the little girl like she is mine." Daryl told him.

"Daryl, that's great news. And you have a daughter now as well. You know how sorry I am that I let you leave like that." Rick said sincerely.

Daryl nodded, and then replied, "Rick, I got a place for us to go that is safe, for the most part. We can leave here tonight and there is a place to stay for everyone. But there is a catch."

"What's going on Daryl?" Rick asked.

"There is an army of bikers that are about twenty five miles away. They are holding over sixty women as slaves and they have wiped out all the towns around them. We gotta take em out. Now I'm going back with or without you, but I could really use your help." Daryl told him.

"We'll get the group together and discuss." Rick told him.

Rick headed back to the prison, and Daryl went to follow him, but Thomas pulled him back to speak to him.

"Daryl, Rick seems to have it together now, but you need to be prepared for what the rest of the group may say or feel. Sounds like you might have your hands full with this Carol woman. Were you two involved before you left?

"No, I mean we were close friends, I would consider her my best friend, but there wasn't anything romantic. I suspected she might have wanted more, but I wouldn't have expected her to fake a pregnancy. She told me she was unable to have anymore children, and she is, well, a bit older anyway." Daryl told him.

"I just want you to be prepared, these folks have gone through a lot since you left, and they may have some resentment towards you. If things get out of hand, just calm down and walk away. I will handle it, because I have nothing to lose. OK, trust me, I have dealt with situations like this before and I don't want you to get discouraged." Thomas told him.

"Thanks man. You don't owe me anything, but I appreciate it. It seems I need all the support I can get right now. I care about these people and I want them to get out of this hell." Daryl informed him.

"I know you do, that's why I want to help you. They seem like good people."

Thomas and Daryl walked up to the prison and entered cell block C. It only had been a few months since Daryl had been here, but it seemed like a life time ago. By now everyone had come from working on the fences after Rick had told them that Daryl had returned.

Beth came over and gave Daryl a big hug, "I'm so glad you came back. I missed you Daryl." She said in her sweet voice. She seemed so fragile compared to the last time he had seen her. He took a look around at the group and realized they all appeared to be gaunt and wore out. It was obvious to Daryl that they had indeed missed his presence.

Shortly after entering the cellblock, Tyrese and Glen returned carrying a small box of food they had managed to scavenge. There was barely enough to feed the group for three days. Daryl was going to have to convince them quickly to leave with him. Glen noticed Daryl and barely made eye contact he went over and stood with Maggie.

Maggie and Glenn then spoke briefly to Daryl, but Daryl picked up that they seemed less than thrilled to have him back. Tyrese, who was now standing with his sister Sasha, whom Daryl hadn't been that close with before he left, were welcoming and expressed the same sentiments as Beth, just without the hug. Michonne was absent, he assumed it was because she was up in her cell recovering from her altercation with the governor.

Daryl's heart sank when he realized that he wouldn't be seeing Hershel anymore. The old man had really been a saint to this group, and he had offered Daryl fatherly support when no one else before him ever had. He had taken the time to help him prepare for the birth of Hunter and for that Daryl would always be thankful.

Glenn finally spoke, "So why did you decide to come back? You look like you have been doing well, but I'm amazed that you even bothered to take the time to check on us. Do you REALIZE how weak you left us? If you ask me, Hershel's death is on YOUR shoulders Daryl."

Maggie tried to calm Glenn down. Daryl had to admit to himself that Glenn's words cut deep. They had him second-guessing his decision. Thomas patted Daryl on the back, trying to give him some sort of signal for Daryl to take a deep breath. Daryl decided to let everyone get his or her feelings out before he responded. But before anyone else could speak, Rick spoke up.

"This is NOT what we do. We don't blame each other or tear each other apart. Daryl had a tough decision to make, and it was my fault that he had to make that decision. If you are going to blame anyone for what happened, then you blame ME. Daryl has come back here for a reason, and…"

"DARYL, MY LOVE…" everyone was interrupted when Carol came into the break area. She pushed passed everyone and before Daryl knew it, she was kissing him passionately. He froze at first, and then without thinking he pulled away abruptly.

"Carol, what are you doing?" He said. Daryl now realized what Rick had been saying. Carol had regressed to some fantasy that involved a relationship with Daryl.

"I knew you would come back to take care of our baby and me." She said.

"Carol, there is no you and me, not like that. I care about you as a friend, but not in a romantic way." He told her. He hated that he had to do this in front of the group, but he was concerned about being alone with her.

"Daryl, what are you talking about, of course we are together. You cared about me before you left. That's why you tried to find Sophia, and that's why we confided in each other. You loved me, when you left I realized that. That's why I am having our baby."

"Carol, you aren't having my baby. We never um, had, …relations…" Daryl said, turning red with embarrassment. He was starting to feel stressed. How was he going to break it to Carol that he was with Anna now? She was obviously in a fragile mental state. He had cared for Carol deeply, and considered her his closest friend, but this Carol seemed miles away from the Carol he had left. He began to feel guilty that the damage he had left behind appeared to be far more than physical. Rick now seemed that he had returned to the land of the sane, but Carol was now on vacation in crazy-town.

"Oh Daryl, of course we were together, you just forgot. Our love produced this child I am carrying inside of me." She said, looking at him adoringly.

Maggie sensed the situation was starting to spin out of control. Everyone knew that Carol wasn't pregnant, and she was showing symptoms of a hysterical pregnancy. It had been a coping mechanism for her when Daryl had left with Anna. Maggie also noticed that Daryl had an obvious wedding band on his finger that wasn't there when he left. She felt pretty confident that his relationship with Anna had blossomed into something romantic, and she couldn't fault him for that.

"Carol honey, why don't you go lie down and get some rest. I will come check on you in a little bit when I check on Michonne. Does that sound OK to you?" Maggie said in a soothing voice.

"OK, I can do that. Daryl honey, come to my cell when you are done here. We have so much to discuss about our future. I knew you would come back to me. You always do." Carol said with a glazed over look in her eye.

Daryl couldn't make eye contact with anyone. He finally turned to Thomas who gave him a knowing nod. When Carol left, Rick spoke again.

"As you can see, she isn't in her right mind." Then Rick turned to the group, "Lets all sit down for a discussion. Daryl is here with a proposal for us that sounds pretty good."

"I came back to get y'all and take you back with us. Thomas here has a plane and we flew in from the North Carolina Mountains this morning. We also have plenty of food and water for everyone with us as well. I have been living on a mountain that has thirteen self-sufficient homes. All of them have generators that run on either propane, or natural gas, as well as back up solar panels and wood heat. The area is gated and there are minimal Walkers and plenty of wild game too. But there is a catch, there is a character named Damian who is about twenty-five miles away, and he has basically wiped out most of the towns surrounding the area. He is holding over sixty women and girls as sex slaves and we need to take him out."

Tyrese spoke, "We just finally defeated the governor and you want us to go to war again, and how is this better than what we are doing now?"

"I didn't say it would be easy. But it wouldn't be just us. Anna's uncles have 'connections' that are well trained that are willing to step in and help. They are all heavily armed and have plenty of firepower. Also, we have nineteen additional local residents that are fully armed as well. This town, Laurel Springs that this Damian guy is in charge of is only defended on the road in and out. There are mountains on either side, but they aren't defended. I was able to make it down a few nights ago undetected and rescue a young girl that managed to escape. She provided us with a lot of information, some of it truly disturbing."

Glenn then spoke, "Daryl this all sounds too good to be true. With that many reinforcements, we wouldn't have any issue taking them out. It would be a cakewalk compared to what we had to do with the governor. He had seventy men compared to our ten. There has to be something more you aren't telling us."

"Well, they have five tanks. But I have a plan for that. But I need your help. I want you all to come back with us." He said pleadingly.

"This Anna, do you have plans to return to her whether we come or not?" Sasha asked.

"Look, I don't want anyone to say anything to Carol about this just yet, but Anna and I are married now. I am raising her daughter, as my own." Daryl told them.

"You did WHAT Daryl? We were all here starving to death and fearing for our lives, and you are off playing house with a woman that you just met? Daryl we have been with you for three years. I can't believe that you just ditched us for a piece of Ass" Carl said surprising everyone.

"CARL, you have no right to talk to Daryl like that. I told you, if you want to blame someone, you blame ME!" Rick told him.

"Oh Dad, I do blame you. But Hershel would still be alive if Daryl had returned once he found her a place to stay like he promised." Carl replied.

Daryl could feel himself shaking with anger. His emotions were all over the place, He wanted to respond, but knew he wouldn't be able to control what he said. Thomas sensed Daryl's frustration.

"Daryl, go take a walk. Let me talk to everyone and get them straight on what is going on." Thomas directed.

With that, Daryl took a breath and headed up to the cellblock to check on Michonne. He had been thinking about his plan to infiltrate Laurel Springs, and he was going to need Michonne to make sure that everything worked out smoothly.

**Thanks everyone for your support and reviews and follows and all the niceness. And Pantherbabe4ever...I promise not to make you wait so long for the next chapter...You are awesome!**

**Thanks-**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


	46. Chapter 46

**DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS**

**OK, now the legal stuff is over, here is Chapter 46 for you guys. A little more of Crazy Carol in this chapter. Also we have some Michonne/Daryl bonding time! He needs her help.**

**So without any further delay...**

Daryl made his way through the prison up to the individual cells to find Michonne. When he found her, she was laid out on a cot and not looking well. He noticed that she had a slash across her face that started at her jaw line and moved upward towards her right eye. He assumed it was a war wound from her altercation with the governor.

Michonne saw Daryl and spoke, "Dixon, you made it back. I knew you couldn't go to long without missing me." She teased him.

"Looks like you went out and played Superwoman, you look like hell." He said.

"Well aren't you the charmer, as usual Dixon." She replied.

"Things have changed since I left, and I feel like shit that I wasn't here." He told her.

"If I didn't know any better, I would think that you actually care about us Dixon." She joked with him.

"So are you gonna tell me what went down with the governor? I should be thanking you for killing that bastard, but it looks like you didn't come out unscathed. I think everyone is worried about you." He said.

"It ain't nothing but a flesh wound" She told him.

"So, tell me what happened. I need a good story to keep my mind occupied." He teased her.

"Gov. had us pretty much locked in, we couldn't leave without his snipers shooting at us. We were starving and some were sick. We lost Hershel and morale was low. Everyone assumed you were dead and Carol, well…have you seen her?" Michonne asked.

"Yeah, I've seen her. Apparently I'm having a baby with a woman that I never touched. It kills me to see her that way." Daryl told Michonne.

"She snapped about two weeks after you left. At first I believed her, but then I got to thinking about it, and her story became stranger and stranger, and I realized she was having some sort of psychotic episode."

"I hope we can get her some help. I don't want to hurt her anymore that she already has been." Daryl stated.

"I know Dixon, it ain't your fault, so don't let it get ya down. Anyhow, We were surrounded, and I counted about fifteen men that he had managed to convince to support him. I'm sure he came up with some Grand form of bullshit to feed them about how much of a threat that we were to get them to go along with his crazy ideas." She said.

"That sounds like him." Daryl acknowledged.

"Anyhow, we all went out one night under the cover of darkness to take him out. It was a new moon, so there wasn't much light to give away our location. We managed to take out about ten of his men just by using the element of surprise. But we couldn't draw HIM out. So I acted desperately and feigned surrender."

"You did WHAT? Were you crazy?"

"I had to get his interest up enough to get him to come out of hiding. I made up a story about being tired of the running, fighting, and starvation. Apparently I did a pretty convincing job, because he came out into the open almost immediately. Unfortunately, a little quicker than I was prepared, and he came at me with a knife I couldn't dodge. Gave me a battle scar I will keep to remind me of the bastard. But while he was busy hacking at my face, he let his guard down enough for me run my Katana through him a few times."

"Jesus Michonne, I can't believe you risked yourself like that." Daryl gave her an impressed look.

"All I could think of was 'What would Dixon Do if he were here'" She teased him.

"You gonna be alright? Everyone is worried about you. I actually did come up here to talk to you about something that I need your help with." And then Daryl proceeded to fill her in on all the details of Laurel Springs and leaving the prison.

Michonne had agreed to help Daryl with no questions asked. She also agreed that leaving the prison was the best solution. Hopefully everyone else would also agree and they could get on to living a better life in North Carolina. He hoped Thomas was having success in convincing everyone else that leaving was the best choice.

Daryl and Michonne were interrupted when Carol came wandering into to Michonne's cell. "There you are darling. What are you doing with Michonne? It's me you want, not her."

Daryl was speechless, he didn't know what to say, Obviously Carol's mental state was becoming borderline dangerous. "I came to check on her and see how she is doing. Why don't you let me finish up talking to her and then I will come talk to you. OK?"

"No Daryl, it's not OK. Can't you see she wants to take you away from me? I just got you back and we need to be alone. You have to let me show you how much I missed you." Daryl shivered at Carol's words.

"Carol, I am insisting that you let us finish up here." Daryl said firmly.

Carol's expression changed to anger, "No, I am not leaving you here with this woman. Michonne, I will kill you if you try to take him away from me again. We have been through too much to be apart ANYMORE. Do you hear me?" Carol then reached behind her and pulled out a knife and flashed it at Michonne.

Daryl could see the situation was quickly starting to get out of hand. Michonne was in a weakened state and didn't need to exert the energy to defend herself against Carol, even though Daryl was sure that Michonne wouldn't have any problems handling the much weaker Carol.

"Carol, come on, let's go to your cell and talk, just like you asked. Now let me see your knife, we don't need that here." Daryl took her hand and led her away, glancing back at Michonne as he left. Michonne's eye's conveyed the same sadness that Daryl was feeling at seeing his best friend fall to pieces.

Daryl took Carol to her cell. Immediately Carol wrapped her arms around Daryl and tried to initiate a kiss. He froze with the contact and Carol sensed he wasn't reciprocating her actions. She pulled away and glared at Daryl in anger.

"Why are you like this to me Daryl? We have played this cat- and- mouse game far too long. I know you love me, and that's why you left. It was to protect me from that strange woman. I am so glad you left her and came back to us…to me."

Daryl couldn't take it anymore, and Carol had to be told. So as gently as he could, he took her hand in his and spoke, "Carol, there is no "us". I came back here to bring all of you back to North Carolina with me. We can get you better, but you have to realize, I am not in love with you, I…"

Carol's demeanor completely changed and she grabbed Daryl's left hand. "Daryl, what is that on your finger? Where did you get that? WHAT DID YOU DO TO US?" she shouted.

"Carol, I am married to Anna, she is my wife. We fell in love and she makes me happy, happier than I have ever been before. You always said you wanted me to find happiness, and I have." He prayed he could get through to her and that the old Carol would re-appear.

"You're lying. You are just trying to protect me from something. You wouldn't do that to me, I know you wouldn't. Daryl, we have something special, something I never had with anyone else. You KNOW that. Anna just seduced you trying to get you to forget about me, but I know you wouldn't ever do that. You love me, you have too." The way she said it let Daryl know he had a much bigger problem than he suspected. And he also knew that Carol presented something else he wouldn't have ever thought, danger to others.

"Carol sweetheart. Just do me a favor. Why don't you lay down here for me? It's been a very difficult day for you and I want you to rest. Please can you do that for me?" Daryl pleaded with her.

"Yes Darling, I can do it for you and our baby." She said. Daryl forgot momentarily that she had been telling everyone she was pregnant.

"OK, then, you do that for us. I'm going to make sure you get some help for your condition, do you understand?" He said, hoping that he could at least get her to calm down while he thought of some way to handle this situation.

Carol lay down and Daryl left her cell. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed deeply. Based on Carol's current mental status, he was concerned about bringing her back to the mountain. What if she was so far gone mentally that she began to react to Anna and the baby similar to how Crystal did when Hunter was born. Both Crystal and Carol had suffered deep losses, including the loss of a child, and both were reacting similarly.

Daryl could never live with himself if Carol did anything to harm Hunter or Anna, and he couldn't abandon Carol either. She had been a good friend to him. They connected better than anyone in the group except for maybe him and Rick. Daryl headed out of the cellblock and outside to the prison yard. He lit up a cigarette and slid down to a sitting position against the brick wall.

He had suspected that there would be angry feelings towards him leaving. Rick had stepped up and tried to pull the blame off of Daryl and onto himself, but Daryl knew that others were still angry. He had been shocked at Carl's reaction. He could remember a time when the kid would follow him around like a puppy and beg Daryl to teach him how to use a crossbow. Now the kid hated him. Daryl saw the anger in Carl and was reminded of himself at that age. This life was destroying Carl and Daryl wanted desperately for Carl to change the path that he was on.

Thomas walking over to him interrupted Daryl's thoughts. He held out his hand and helped Daryl get up off the ground. "They are ready to go. Once they got over all the emotional shit, they realized that this was by far a better option than staying here in this prison and struggling to survive. We are going to take two vehicles over to the plane and then depart. Daryl, I'm sorry you had to come back to this."

Rick came out of the prison to join the two men. "Did Thomas tell you the plan? Daryl, we can never thank you enough for this. Your timing was perfect, we were all starting to fall apart."

"No problem man, but I am concerned about Carol. I think she could be dangerous. She pulled a knife out when I was talking to Michonne. She sees any other women who I talk to as a threat. I tried to tell her about Anna, but she just dismissed her as a seductress. I don't want to put my wife and child in harm's way, but I don't want to hurt Carol either."

Rick scratched his chin and then spoke, "Don't worry about Carol. We will handle her. I will keep Maggie with her. We might have a few sedatives we could give her to help settle her down. Maybe once we are established and set up in North Carolina she will begin to regroup mentally. I think the stress has worn everyone down. I also want to apologize for Carl. He was out of line and doesn't represent how we feel."

"Don't worry about it. The kid has a right to be angry, because he's been through a lot. But Rick, we can't let him put walls up like he has. It will destroy him and make him bitter, trust me, I know because that was me at that age. He's like a soldier, and he needs time to just be a kid."

Rick nodded and gave Daryl a friendly pat on the back. He knew Daryl was right, and he hoped by the group changing up their surroundings everyone could begin to recover from this Hell they had all been in for so long now.

Daryl then spoke to Rick one more time, "If you don't mind, I would like to go pay my respects to Hershel. If you could let me have a few minutes, then I will be back up here to help everyone pack and get ready. Thomas, are you OK with them here for a little while?"

Thomas nodded and Rick told Daryl it wouldn't be any issue with him disappearing for a few minutes.

Daryl quietly walked down to the cemetery that they had established at the prison. So many people that he cared deeply for where laid here for their final resting place. Even though they never found any remains of Lori, they still had a gravesite for her to memorialize her life. Merle was here, along with T-Dog, Axle, Andrea, and at one point they even had a marker for Carol, before Daryl had found her in the tombs.

Daryl walked over to the fresh dug grave that belonged to Hershel. He stood there for a few moments, not knowing what to do or say. He could feel his chest tighten and his throat now had a lump in it. Finally Daryl spoke,

"Hey old man. I hate we missed each other like this. I wanna thank you for all you did for me. The book you gave me helped out. I now have a beautiful little girl and I married her Momma. You would really love her Hershel. She embodies everything that is good. I miss you. You were like our rock of salvation in this place. Hershel, you were always our voice of reason. I think you would be proud of me and the man I have become. I promise you that I will take care of your family and keep them safe. I will never forget you Hershel…"

Daryl dropped to his knees, overcome with emotion. He began to softly sob at the loss of Hershel. In his mind Hershel represented what Daryl wanted to become, strong, levelheaded, and caring. Daryl felt a part of him would grieve Hershel's loss even more than Merle's loss. Hershel encouraged Daryl to be someone other than the lost man that Merle had always encouraged Daryl to be.

Daryl composed himself and headed back into the prison. He helped everyone with gathering their supplies together and loaded them into the vehicles that they were going to take to the plane. Maggie was staying close to Carol as Rick had requested, and Daryl was doing everything in his power to avoid her.

Rick and Daryl went up to get Michonne and help her get to the car. Daryl had thrown her belongings into a bag and gathered up her precious Katana and followed behind her as Rick helped her down the stairs and out of the prison.

They all took one final look back at the prison and then drove away silently. Beth had little Judith in her arms and Daryl asked if he could hold the little girl. She was close to seven months old now and Daryl was amazed at how much she had grown since he last saw her. She would now grow up with Hunter and the two would be playmates and most likely friends for life. He smiled thinking about his little girl and the joy she brought to him. He was also relieved that the group decided to return with him. Daryl now felt complete.

It only took them about five minutes to get to the plane. They loaded up their supplies and then Thomas pulled out the boxes of food and water and offered it to everyone. They ate the food greedily that was provided to them. After they ate everyone's moods seemed to lighten and they all boarded the plane. Daryl opted to sit up front in the cockpit with Thomas, mostly to avoid being in tight quarters with Carol. Maggie had given Carol a sedative right after they boarded the plane, and Carol was already starting to doze and they still hadn't left the ground yet.

Daryl knew without a doubt that this was the right decision. But his fear of Carol was still nagging him in the back of his mind. He just hoped that the fear was unwarranted and that Carol could somehow recover.

**Hope you liked this chapter...Now we are over and done with the prison. Off to the land of lush green mountains and psycho biker gangs...Who will survive, and who won't...hmmm? Any ideas?**

**Please Review Review Review...and let me know what you want to happen. I have already received some good ideas from those of you who are reading.**

**And to my loyal guests who are leaving great reviews, thanks bunches.**

**Take care- I need to get working on the next chapter!**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


	47. Chapter 47

**Not a lot of action in this chapter...this is kind of set up for things that are going to happen.**

Thomas had been right that Daryl actually would like flying. He was amazed at how small everything looked from up above and he would describe the experience as exhilarating. Thomas noticed the slight smile on Daryl's face.

"Told ya, I knew you would like it. If you want, I could teach you how to do it." Thomas said.

"Really, you could do that? I don't know though, it looks kinda complicated." Daryl stated unsure of himself.

"It's not as hard as you think. It would be good to have someone else up here know how to fly this plane, just in case something happened to me." Thomas told him. Daryl thought about what he was proposing.

"I'd be willing to learn if you would be willing to teach me. As soon as all this shit with Laurel Springs blows over would be a good time, if that is OK with you." Daryl told him.

"That would work out well. You're good people Daryl and I like spending time with you. I wouldn't mind you teaching me how to handle that crossbow of yours. I have one, but never learned how to use it properly."

"Deal. We could go hunting, it was always something I enjoyed doing, and now it's also the best way to guarantee we have fresh meat. Gus has a smoke house that I have been meaning to take advantage of, but just haven't been able to do it with everything going on."

Thomas replied, "Sounds good, I'm just ready to put those fucking assholes down and get the women out of there. It keeps me awake at night knowing what is going on there."

" You ain't the only one. It's killing all of us. But it's just a matter of time now before we get them all out and make those bastards pay." Daryl said emphatically.

The flight back was uneventful. It was close to six in the evening when they arrived back in the area. The temperature had dropped considerably since the prior day and Daryl was concerned that his group didn't have proper clothing for the colder North Carolina winters. To make matters worse, as they were landing it had started to snow.

As promised when they arrived at the Blevin's place by plane, Phyllis had prepared a huge meal for everyone and Anna and her family along with Hunter were joining them. They wanted to make the Prison group feel welcome and felt it would also be a good time to discuss the exact details of what the plans would be to eliminate Laurel Springs and free the women.

Rick and Daryl once again helped Michonne de-plane and then helped her walk the couple hundred yards to the house. Carol was still groggy from the sedative that Maggie had given her and still hadn't said very much, thankfully.

As they entered into the Blevins home they were greeted by Marty, Joe, Isabella, and Viv in proper Italian style. Which meant, Hugs, Handshakes, and lot's of warm hellos. The introductions were made and the Martinelli clan made everyone feel comfortable and welcomed. Phyllis had laid out a spread fit for a king to serve to everyone, and of course, it had been supplemented by some traditional Italian dishes that Anna's Aunts had prepared as well.

Daryl looked around for Anna, and was disappointed when he couldn't find her. He turned to Viv, who was holding Hunter, to find out where she was,

"Where's my wife? Is she OK?"

"She was tired and sore, and opted to stay back at that house. She's fine Daryl, but just didn't feel up to coming, so I convinced her to stay at home." Viv informed him. She could sense Daryl's disappointment that Anna hadn't been here to greet him. So Viv added, "Daryl, she is just trying to get back to one hundred percent again so she doesn't feel so useless. Anna isn't one who likes lying around. I think we both know you can relate to that…"

Daryl nodded and then took Hunter from Viv. He then spoke to the group.

"Y'all, this is my daughter Hunter and unfortunately, her momma is still under the weather, so I get to show off my little princess instead." He said. Everyone looked at each other in shock as Daryl had a huge smile on his face and cooed over the infant. They had all seen glimpses of Daryl's tenderness with Judith, but this was completely different. This was a proud father with his daughter.

Immediately the group, with the exception of Carl who just sat back stoically watching the interactions, and Carol, who looked completely confused, surrounded him. Rick was holding Judith, and Judith reached out towards the smaller infant. It was amazing how children even at that age seemed to recognize other children. Everyone laughed at Judith's gesture and Daryl felt a bit of happiness inside knowing his little girl would have another child to play with.

Dinner went smoothly and everyone seemed to be getting along well. The initial nervousness around the new group had worn off, and the tension of earlier in the day with the group and Daryl was non existent. Carl and Carrie had started talking about comic books and old TV shows that they use to watch and the two of them seemed to be getting along well. They were close in age and Carrie seemed to have broken through Carl's walls that he had been putting up. Both kids' had been through so much more than any child at that age should have to endure, and Daryl was relieved that they seemed to be good for each other.

As everyone was socializing after dinner, Daryl took the chance to pull Marty and Joe to the side and fill them in on the details of Carol. He didn't want them to think that something had gone on with the two of them if she started acting strange again this evening.

Marty then asked, "Do you think she could be a threat to Anna and the baby? It won't be tolerated if she is."

Daryl replied hesitantly, "I don't know. We were close friends before I left, but she is not living in reality right now, and it saddens me to see her like this. I would recommend not letting her alone around Anna or Hunter. I just can't trust her right now."

Joe then spoke, "I agree with Daryl. We will need to keep a watch on her. My heart breaks for the poor woman, but I will not risk my family."

Daryl then looked at Joe, "Not to change the subject, but how did your trip to Charlotte go today?"

"Went well, we brought back fifteen men. Jimmy Castinelli has managed to train his men well. They are set up at Gus's house for the time being, so that means you and Anna are staying with us until this all blows over. The higher-ranking men are staying inside and the recruits are staying outside in a makeshift camp. Just so you know, they have all been threatened within an inch of their life to leave everything just as they found it."

"Good to know." Daryl responded.

When they returned back to the dining room Glenn was relaying the story about the time that Daryl had gotten him drunk at the CDC. Everyone laughed as Glenn mentioned how bad his hangover had been the next morning and his reaction to the powdered eggs that T-dog had served up. Daryl thought to himself about how that felt like a lifetime ago, and how much he had changed since those days. He had just lost Merle for the first time back then and was dealing with major anger issues. Now he just wanted everyone to be happy and safe.

As dinner was wrapping up and everyone was preparing to depart the Blevins home and return to the mountain, Carol suddenly spoke,

"Daryl honey, where are we staying tonight?"

He didn't think anything about her statement at first so he simply replied, "We have several homes set up for each of you to stay in. Tyrese, Sasha, and you will be staying together in a real nice place that overlooks the valley. You should be able to settle in and take a nice hot shower tonight."

Carol gave him a bewildered look that didn't slip by anyone in the room, "No, I mean US, you and me? The baby needs to be near their father." She said insistently. Viv and Isabella gave each other a strange look, and then both looked to Daryl for an explanation.

Marty pulled Viv to the side and whispered in her ear, most likely explaining the situation to her, and then Viv looked at Daryl and nodded.

There was silence for a few seconds, then Carol spoke again, "Daryl, you aren't answering me, I know you aren't going to leave me by myself tonight, It's been so long since we have been together. Please don't leave me again." Tears were slipping down her cheek and Daryl's heart was breaking seeing his friend completely gone from reality.

Sasha stepped in to help out, "Carol, I was thinking we could have a nice girl's night tonight. Daryl has to be exhausted and I am sure he has plenty of responsibility to handle up here tonight. We can take nice hot showers and just relax, and maybe Tyrese could make us breakfast in the morning. How does that sound? Daryl can visit us once he is done managing the operations around here."

Carol nodded, "Yes, I would like that."

Daryl had never been particularly close with Sasha, but in this moment, he had never been more appreciative to anyone in his life. She had managed to diffuse the situation with Carol in a sweet and unsuspecting manner. Daryl looked at her and mouthed the words, "Thank you" to her, and she smiled and mouthed the words, "No- Thank you" back to him.

The snow slowed their progress back to the mountain. Joe and Marty dropped off the women at the house and then brought everyone else to the homes that they had set up. Daryl opted not to go with the others but to remain with the women. He was trying hard to avoid any more awkward interactions with Carol.

Michonne would eventually be staying with Rick, Carl, and Judith, but Viv wanted to check the woman over and keep an eye on her for the night, so she stayed at the Martinelli's for the evening. The other two houses would consist of Beth, Glenn, and Maggie, and then Sasha, Tyrese, and Carol.

Everyone was overwhelmed with the luxurious homes they were provided to stay in. Marty and Viv had spent the day with Carrie making sure the homes were stocked with food and clean linens. They had gone through all of the closets and pulled out clothes and laid them out so that everyone could pick through them to find what would fit and what wouldn't. Fortunately there was a good number of winter clothes for both men and women and everyone was excited to go through them all and find nice new clean items.

Rick spoke to Marty and Joe, "I could never thank you enough for your kind hospitality. This is amazing, no better yet, this is a miracle. If there is anything at all you need from me, or any of us, please don't hesitate to let me know."

Joe replied, "It's our pleasure. Daryl means the world to us and he wanted you here more than anything. He never stopped worrying about you and was going to drive down to Georgia to get you if the plane hadn't worked out. I want you to know something else too, that Anna was the one that suggested he bring you back here to live. I think you deserve to know that this was her idea. I know some of the details of what happened when Daryl found her, and just want you to keep in mind, that she is a forgiving person, but if anything happens to her, I'm not quite as forgiving."

Rick nodded, "I have no excuse for how I acted when Daryl found her. It was one of the biggest mistakes that I have ever made, and I have made plenty. As for her safety, I think you may be referring to the situation we have with Carol. I promise that we will keep her under wraps. I am hoping that once we remove some of the stress from her life, that she will come back to reality. She has manifested a relationship with Daryl and is suffering from what I believe is a Hysterical Pregnancy. Where's a good Psychiatrist when you need one." Rick joked.

Everyone began settling into the homes and the Martinelli's headed back to their own home. For the first time in a long time the group from the Prison would sleep comfortably, and safely.

Daryl helped Michonne get settled into the guestroom before he was shooed away by Viv. Daryl and Michonne had become close the last few months he was at the prison. She represented a female version of him. Her survival skills were top notch and he couldn't think of any person that he would want protecting his back.

He finally made his way down the hall to his room where Anna, Isabella, and Hunter were all sitting together on the bed. He immediately went over to Anna and placed a soft kiss on her lips and wrapped his arms around her and gingerly hugged her. He knew she had still been sore from the infection she had developed and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. He needed to talk to her and let her know about Carol.

"Hey Isabella, can you let us have a few moments. I need to talk to Anna."

"No problem Daryl, do you mind if I take Hunter with me? Carrie seems to really enjoy the little girl and I thought I could let her feed the baby." Isabella said.

"Yeah, that will be fine. I will come get her in a little bit. Thanks." Daryl said.

Isabella left and Daryl took the opportunity to snuggle up with Anna and pull her gently into his arms.

"I'm exhausted, and I so fucking happy to be here alone with you right now that I don't know what to do with myself." He told his wife. Anna gently began stroking his arms to help relieve some of the tension she could sense in him.

"Baby I missed you and I worried about you, so tell me how everything went today." Anna said to him.

"It was an emotional roller coaster to be honest with you. Rick is back to being normal Rick again. But some of the others blame me for leaving. Hershel didn't make it and I think Glenn blames me for that loss. They were starving when I got there, and everything with the governor finally ended. Michonne killed him, but she is with Viv right now, she took a nasty wound to the face and I think she is hurting much more than she is letting on." Daryl told her.

"Sounds like someone else I know" Anna said as he swatted Daryl on the shoulder. He laughed at the contact.

"Carl is angry as hell at me and said I abandoned them for a piece of Ass." Daryl told her.

"He said that? I remember him being an angry kid, but if I had spoken like that at that age I probably wouldn't be breathing today." She amused.

"Yeah, the kid is angry and he is falling apart emotionally. I warned Rick that I saw myself in Carl's actions. The kid is building up walls around him. Hell, who can blame him, he has been through so much. The sad thing is the kid used to look up to me, and now I think he hates me." Daryl explained.

Anna nodded, "Don't let it get you down. Maybe him and Carrie can bond, they are about the same age and they have both been through a lot. Sometimes having someone your own age you can relate to can do wonders for you emotionally. You didn't have that when you were younger."

"I know, but it still worries me. I don't want him to be a cold hearted son of a bitch like I am." Daryl said.

Anna replied quickly, "Was, Daryl, Was. You are one of the kindest people I know. Sometimes your delivery sucks, but your heart is huge. That's one of the things I love about you most."

Daryl blushed when she heaped the praise on him and he wasn't sure he would ever feel completely comfortable accepting compliments from people. "You make me a better person Anna. Don't ever forget that. But there is something else I need to talk to you about."

"Anything love."

"It's Carol. She has completely flipped out." He said.

"Flipped out how?" She inquired.

"She thinks that we were romantically involved and that she is pregnant with our child." He said it quickly just to get it out in the open.

"What? Where did she even come up with something like that? You told me you were never with her in anyway, and that you didn't have anything physical going on with her…"

"And we didn't. She has created all of this in her head. Rick said about two weeks after I left that she completely drifted away from reality. He said she is suffering from something called a 'hysterical pregnancy'. Sounds like shit you would see on one of them soaps that would come on TV." He told her.

"Daryl I'm sorry that I implied something went on. I just didn't realize someone could slip that far from reality." Anna said sincerely.

"I know. She can't even have kids anymore. It is killing me to see her this way. We were close before all of this and she offered me so much support and kindness. She was there for me when I lost Merle, and I don't know what I would have done without her." Daryl said sadly.

"Do you want me to talk to her and see if I can help?" Anna asked.

"Absolutely not, I want you to stay as far away from her as you can. I don't think you or Hunter is safe around her and I don't want you alone with her for any reason. Promise me that." He implored.

"Ok, I promise. But I want to help honey. I hate to see anything hurt you like this." She said sweetly.

"I know baby, but for now this is the best solution. Your safety is the most important thing to me. I will still do whatever it takes to protect you. And I am hoping like hell that I don't have to do anything to Carol to keep you safe, but if I have to, it will be done." He said emphatically.

**A BIG special thanks to my loyal Reviewers...you guys are so awesome. Any suggestions any of you have or would like to see this story go, please feel free to share!**

**Have a great night folks!**

**Missy**

**XXOO**

**P.S. Please leave some reviews for me and feel free to recommend this story to anyone you think would like it.**


	48. Chapter 48

**Finally able to upload...**

The next morning Marty and Viv headed out for Richmond to make contact with his connections. The entire area had become a flurry of activity. Daryl was introduced by Joe to the group lead by Jimmy "the shoe" Castinelli. Meeting former mobsters that would be working side by side with the group was surreal to Daryl. Jimmy looked like he had stepped off the set of 'Goodfellas'. He had dark wavy hair, bad skin, gold chains around his neck, a Rolex watch, and the most ornate leather shoes Daryl had ever seen. The man was only about 5'8, but had a commanding presence about him. Daryl could see why the guy was the head of the group. Whenever he would speak to one of the men, they would obey his orders without questions.

It was decided that a small group would go and scout the area around Laurel Springs, this time it would occur during the day so they could get a better picture of what went on during the daylight hours. Based on what they discovered on this scouting trip, they would then determine when the best time to attack would be. Daryl would go in undercover, so to speak, about a half day before the planned attack. Everyone was hoping that they would be able to go forward with their plans in three to four day's max.

It was decided that the entire community would meet together in the morning at Marty and Joe's house and then the scouting group would be selected and then move out after the meeting. Daryl knew he would be selected to lead the group and he had a few individuals in mind that he would like to take.

Rick and Sasha had come down to the house to check in on Michonne and to touch base with Daryl. When Anna saw them approaching, she ran out to the front gate and let them in. Rick was overwhelmed with a sense of guilt when he saw Anna's smiling face.

"Hi Rick and…? Umm, I don't know your name sweetie, but I'm Anna, Daryl's wife."

"Hello Anna, you look amazing. A lot more comfortable now than the last time I saw you. And this is Sasha, she has a brother with her Tyrese." Rick said.

"It's amazing what pushing out a kid will do to you" She joked. "Is everything OK with the housing we arranged for you? If not, there are other houses that are available."

"No Anna, everything is great, it couldn't be better. Y'all have treated us much better than I treated you the last time I saw you. You do realize how absolutely sorry I am for that. I was a complete Asshole and don't deserve the courtesy you have shown us."

Anna appreciated Rick's candor. "It's OK Rick. Daryl had explained to me everything you were dealing with at the time, and I understand. I don't hold it against you, I promise. Things all ended up working out in the end, but I am sorry to hear about Hershel. He was a kind man and Daryl thought a lot of him. In fact, Daryl thinks the world of all of you. I'm just happy that you are here and safe. It means the world to Daryl, so it means the world to me."

Sasha joined in the conversation, "Daryl is a Saint, I don't know that I ever met someone who cares about people as much as he does."

"That's why I love him. Now come in the house before you guys freeze." Anna told them.

Anna led Sasha and Rick to the guestroom that Michonne was staying in. She left them and told them she would let Daryl know they were there. As she headed down the hallway a smiling Carrie greeted her.

"Anna, Miss Viv told me you know how to play the piano, could you teach me how to play some time? I really really want to learn."

"Sure thing kiddo. Let's get through this mess with Laurel Springs and then I will give you lessons each day. Is that alright with you?" Anna said.

"Yes Ma'am. I can't wait. My mom always wanted me to learn, and now I can. I can't wait. Can I have a recital too?"

"I don't see why not. We could invite all of our new friends. I bet everyone would love to hear you play." Anna told her.

"Can we invite Carl too?" Carrie asked.

"Of course, is there any reason why you want Carl specifically to come?" Anna inquired.

Carrie just giggled and blushed and then Anna was then greeted by a huge hug from the young girl. While holding the young girl in her arms Anna was overwhelmed with emotion. This child had recently lost her mother at the hands of pure evil, escaped from grown men who were going to rape her, and provided this group with valuable information that was going to help them destroy their biggest threats. She prayed that Hunter would never have to endure anything like what Carrie had to endure, but if she did, then she prayed that she could come through it the way that Carrie had managed.

Anna found Daryl sneaking a cigarette out on the back porch. The porch had become the 'man cave' at the house. Anna knew the men would go out there to talk, smoke, and drink expensive scotch. She also knew Daryl kept a secret stash of cigarettes hidden in his bag, but she figured he needed something to help him unwind at times, and if it meant him occasionally sneaking a smoke, then so be it.

"Hey babe, caught ya didn't I" Anna joked with him.

"Yeah, like you didn't know, right?" He replied.

"You have company. Sasha and Rick are here to see you, but right now they are in with Michonne. Viv said she is actually healing up well. She will probably be in good shape in another day or two. I will admit, that is a wicked slash across her face. I can't believe someone would willingly do that to a woman." Anna said.

"Governor was a sick bastard. I am thinking this Damian guy might be worse. Scares the hell out of me to think what he would do if he got his hands on you or any of these other women in this area. We have got to stop him before he has a chance." Daryl replied. She could see how much this was weighing on him and she knew that Daryl hated the thought of anyone or anything suffering. His focus right now was completely on getting rid of Damian and freeing the women and children being held hostage.

Daryl walked down the hallway to see Rick, Sasha, and Michonne. Michonne did look a lot stronger today then she did yesterday and he assumed that the rest, decent food, and medical care that Viv provided her were making the difference. He entered the room and was greeted by a grateful smile and strong pat on the back from Rick.

"Daryl, I can never thank you for this. This is truly the first time any of us have had a chance to actually relax since all this shit started."

"Hey man, I've said it before, and I will say it again, It's what we do. We're family and we look after each other. I'm just glad I have you back with me." Daryl said sincerely.

"The feeling is mutual. But I do have a favor to ask. Do you think it is possible that you could drop in and visit with Carol?" Rick asked.

Sasha then added, "I think she is finally coming around. She didn't say anything about the two of you being romantically involved last night. She really didn't mention you much at all. She did talk about her daughter, and what an ass her ex-husband was, but that was about it. Maybe she is coming to her senses now that the stress of living in the prison is over with and we don't have the Governor breathing down our necks."

Daryl scratched his chin and didn't say anything for a few moments. He was carefully weighing his options regarding Carol. "OK, I will stop by and see her tomorrow after our group meeting and before we head out. I just don't want her to take it the wrong way. If she starts acting delusional again today, I want to know about it. The last thing I want to do is lead her on."

Sasha then replied, "That will be good. I promise to let you know if she starts acting strange again."

"Good deal. Would you guys like me to show you the arsenal we have? It's pretty impressive."

"I would love to see it," Sasha said, "How bout you Rick?"

"Let's go. It will be nice to see what type of weaponry we are dealing with." Rick added.

Daryl took them down to the arsenal and showed them all the weapons that they had at their disposal. He also filled them in on the weapons that were stored at Gus's, as well as the firepower that Joe's Charlotte 'family' connections had as well.

"With all this weaponry, we should have no issue handling the men in Laurel Springs. What has been your hesitation in going after them?" Sasha asked.

"Well for one thing, there is a lot more of them then there is us, fortunately we have decent numbers now. The other thing is that they have five tanks. The guns aren't going to be enough to take out the tanks, and if they get those things mobile, we're dead." Daryl explained.

Rick then asked, "So we have to disable the tanks. How are we going to do that?"

"I'm going in undercover on my bike. I will disable them from the inside." Daryl told them.

"No the fuck your not Daryl. That's suicide. You have too much to lose now. You have your wife and your daughter to think about. There has to be a better way." Rick insisted.

"Look, I have thought about this, it's the best solution. I look like them and I don't think they will suspect me. I also won't be alone. Michonne has agreed to go with me. She can fit in as a biker chick, no questions asked. We suspect she will probably get put with the other women, which is actually a good thing. If anyone can get those women out before we let loose on this group, Michonne can. You know she will have my back, and we will protect hers as well."

"Yeah, but Daryl, there are still over a hundred of them to deal with and…"

"I know, I have heard it all before. I haven't said anything to anyone yet about Michonne going with me, so please let me explain it tomorrow at the meeting. I will tell Anna and her family tonight, but I don't want anyone else to know until we can fully explain the details."

Rick nodded. It didn't sit well with him the danger that Daryl was putting himself and Michonne into, but he admitted to himself quietly that it was a good plan. Come hell or high water, he would make sure that they had plenty of coverage when they went into Laurel Springs. This had the makings of Woodbury all over again in his opinion.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Daryl spent the time with Anna and Hunter. She still wasn't feeling the greatest, so Daryl didn't push anything physical with her. He had waited forty-three years to finally have sex, he figured another day wasn't going to kill him, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't missing it.

That night as they settled into bed, he explained to her that after the meeting tomorrow, he was going to check in on Carol and then he would be heading out on the scouting mission. They were both concerned that this one would occur during the day. It greatly increased the odds of them being spotted. He assured her that they would all be decked out in camouflage again and would take every precaution necessary. It did little to settle her nerves.

"You know, you are an amazing man looking in on Carol after all that she is going through. Are you sure it is in her best interest? She might regress when she sees you." Anna said.

"I think she will be fine. Sasha said she was much better once they were settled in the house. Tyrese will be there as well, and if anything goes south, I am sure that the three of us can handle her. Maggie has also been giving her small doses of sedatives to help keep her calm. I just want her better. You would really love her if you knew the sane Carol." Daryl told her.

"I don't know if she would care too much for me Daryl. She obviously had some pretty strong feelings for you if she manifested a romantic relationship. She would most likely see me as a threat. Women can be quite caddy when a man they are interested in show interest in another woman." Anna told him.

"Do you really think she would react like that if she were sane? I mean, in her present condition, there is no way I would trust her alone with you, but if she had all her senses, I just couldn't see her reacting that way." Daryl told her.

"You couldn't see her like that because you don't want to imagine her that way. I'm telling you Daryl, I think she was pretty devastated that you didn't reciprocate her affections, and that is why she digressed so badly. She has lost so much and she is alone, and you were her last bit of hope. Just promise me you will be careful around her. I know you don't want to hurt her feelings, but you also don't want to lead her on in anyway." Anna was offering him sound advice.

"I promise baby girl. Now lets get you to bed so you can get some rest and get to feeling like yourself again. I need you strong and healthy so we can crawl all over each other like wild panthers." He joked.

"Oh Daryl, your such a charmer…" She laughed.

The next morning they all got dressed and ready for the meeting. Everyone arrived at the house around nine in the morning. Marty and Viv had returned the night before from Richmond with the remains of a small sect of 'family'. Marty had hoped there would be more survivors, but there were only five that had survived through the virus and the subsequent attacks. They were lead by a much older gentleman that went by Serge Pirelli. Two of the survivors were his grandsons, Antonio and Mario. What the man lacked in physical prowess he possessed in tactical wisdom. Fortunately he had passed this down to the older grandson Antonio. Daryl made a note to see if Antonio would accompany them on their mission after the meeting as they could definitely use a good tactical strategist.

The meeting went well, and everyone agreed that they would meet again tomorrow at the same time to discuss what Daryl and his teams turn up after today's scouting trip. Daryl selected eight individuals to go in two groups. Group one would consist of Daryl, Michonne, Antonio, and one of Jimmy's men, a small guy named Petey, who was recommended for his athleticism and his stealth mannerisms. The other group he selected consisted of Thomas, Glen, Rick, and Sasha. Timmy Sanderson had insisted on going with them, but Daryl deemed him too much of a loose cannon to risk bringing along, so he gave him a miniscule task of trying to locate some old area maps at the Traphill courthouse.

This time Thomas would take to the overlook that Daryl and Marty had been the other night with his group. Daryl would lead his team in from the other side, which would mean forging through a much more rugged terrain. Daryl specifically picked the more physically fit of the group to go with him because of the rough terrain. He was thankful that they were going to be maneuvering through the area in daylight so that they would be able to pay attention to their footing. One slip could mean a broken ankle or leg, which would be devastating at this point in the mission.

They were all going to meet up at the gated entrance in an hour. That left Daryl enough time to say goodbye to Anna, and stop in to visit with Carol.

Anna was emotional when it came time for Daryl to leave. She kept telling him she had a bad feeling about him leaving, and he assured her that nothing would go wrong. She helped him get decked out in the camouflage gear and paint his face.

"You need to promise me you will wear this for me one night so we can 'play' Daryl. I think it is kind of sexy." She teased.

"Babe, I will wear anything you want me to. I could take you right here and right now if you were feeling up to it." He purred lowly in her ear. She reacted with a sensual shiver and a deep kiss.

He went to give Hunter a kiss goodbye, but when the child saw him in his camouflage get-up she began to scream and wail frantically. Daryl suddenly felt guilty for terrifying the small child. Anna supressed a laugh, and took the baby, as she just shrugged when he looked at her with guilty eyes.

Daryl rode up to say Hello to Carol. She answered the door sweetly when he knocked. Tyrese was out on the back porch, armed and keeping watch. It didn't sit well with him that there had been stragglers at different times that had made it up on the mountain. Truth be told, Daryl was glad that Tyrese was keeping an eye on things, and keeping an eye on Carol as well.

"Hi Daryl, Sasha said you would stop by to visit today. How are you doing?" She asked. Daryl noticed she seemed like her old self.

"I'm good Carol. You seem like you are feeling better. You look good." He told her.

"Are you going out hunting? You look like a duck hunter in that outfit." She said.

Daryl didn't want to divulge too much to her, not knowing what her mental state was, "Yeah, I'm going to see if I can bag a deer. I'm taking Sasha with me."

"Oh that's great, it's been a while since I have had venison. I hope you have luck." She said in her sincerest voice.

"Yeah, I hope so too." He said.

"Why don't you have some lemonade I made this morning. You look tired and I bet it would be refreshing." She told him.

Daryl was starting to relax a bit around her. She was acting just like she used to. Maybe Rick and Sasha were right, that she was just under too much stress. He was starting to feel hopeful that she would recover.

"Thanks Carol. That would be nice." He told her.

She went into the kitchen and brought him a nice cold glass of lemonade. He gulped it down in just a few sips. The woman knew how to make lemonade better than anyone he had ever known. Carol really was a domestic Goddess. He figured that all those years living under Ed's abuse, that keeping house was her outlet. He hoped maybe one day she would meet someone else. She would make someone a good wife, and he wanted her to have the happiness in her life that he had now.

As Daryl was leaving, he passed Maggie. She was coming to check on Carol and make sure she was still progressing well. Daryl exchanged quick pleasantries, gathered up Sasha, stopped by and picked up Rick, and then headed out the door to meet his crew.

Maggie went to the bathroom cabinet to get Carol's medication and administer it to her. When she picked up the bottle she noticed it felt lighter than she expected. She dumped out the pills and noticed that four of the sedatives were missing.

"Carol, did you take extra medication? These are some really strong sedatives, and I have only been giving you quarter doses." She said.

"Oh that, I gave them to Daryl in his lemonade. He really needed to rest, and he wouldn't rest otherwise. I hope he doesn't mind." She said as if she was giving a weather report.

"CAROL, that much medication can kill him. He will overdose. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Maggie yelled as she ran out to try to catch him before he left. But she was too late. And to make matters worse, no one had thought to bring radios with them that day.

"Oh God Carol. You may have just killed Daryl and he doesn't even know." Maggie lamented.

**Hope to get another update finished this evening.**

**Thanks to everyone for the Awesomeness and reviews. I really appreciate each and everyone of you, and I say that sincerely. Soooo...what does everyone think should happen with Carol. Has she crossed a line that to the point that she shouldn't remain with the group? Should they lock her up somewhere? What would you do? And...just how much danger is Daryl in? He doesn't know he has been drugged and he his heading up a dangerous mission...**

**Suggestions?**

**Have a great day!-**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


	49. Chapter 49

**OK, let me know what you think of this chapter. I have had some really good feedback from pharmtechgrl71 and I am going to work with one of her suggestions...thanks sweetie.**

When the all met down at the gate, they divided up into two vehicles. Thomas and Antonio both had four wheel drive SUVs that were large enough to hold everyone. Thomas and his team had the much easier access route. They could be in position within thirty minutes. Daryl and his team would have to drive, west, then south to circumvent the main road that approached Laurel Springs. Their approach would take closer to an hour, followed by a short, but strenuous hike to hold a position on the western overlook of the town.

Apparently Antonio had been some sort of professional driver in his past life. He made incredible time navigating through the back roads to get them to the point where they could ditch the vehicle and begin their ascent to the western cliffs that overlooked the valley that contained Laurel Springs. Antonio was quiet and calculating, and only offered anything to the conversation when it was pertinent. Daryl had to admit he liked the guy. He didn't offer any mindless bullshit, just good ideas and suggestions.

When they were getting out of the vehicle, Daryl stumbled slightly. He had started to feel a little lethargic and assumed that his adrenaline levels were dropping. Michonne caught the slight misstep and inquired,

"Dixon, you OK? You seem a little shaky on your feet?"

"I'm fine. Just a long drive over here is all, even with Antonio's amazing driving skills" He said as he gave a nod to the man. Antonio didn't say anything just smiled and gave Daryl a nod of acknowledgement back.

"You sure. Can't have you climbing up these rocky trails if you are stumbling. You could fuck yourself up pretty good if you took a fall." Michonne said.

"Said I'm fine, now lets get going." Daryl said in a frustrated voice. Truth was, he really was starting to feel bad.

Anna was at the house when she heard frantic knocking at the door. The gate must have been left open for someone to be able to directly access the house. She began to run towards the door, and was greeted by Marty with gun in hand. As she approached the door, she also heard yelling on the other side, and it was a panicked female voice,

"Anna, Marty, Joe…Someone please open the door, Daryl is in Trouble…. Please someone Open the door…."

When Anna heard Daryl's name mentioned, she flew to open the door and was greeted by one of the females from Rick's group. It was one of the sisters, but she wasn't sure which one, either Maggie or Beth, but at this point it didn't matter.

"I'm Maggie, Daryl has been drugged and he doesn't know it. Carol slipped him a huge dose of sedatives and if he doesn't get some sort of help, I fear he could go into Cardiac Arrest." Maggie relayed the message, out of breath from her run to the house.

"Oh my God," Viv shouted before anyone could respond. The situation became very tense immediately and chaos broke out.

Anna dropped to her knees, Joe catching her before she hit the floor "We gotta go now and get him. I know he is hiking up one of the most strenuous trails in this area, and even if he doesn't have a heart attack, if he is at all dizzy or confused the results could be detrimental. Someone TAKE ME TO HIM NOW!" Her voice was desperate and sobs overtook her body.

Marty spoke, "This goes against every bit of judgement that I have, but Anna and Maggie, get in the car now. We are going to find him, and when we do, Maggie, will you know what to do when we get him?"

"Yes, I just pray his heart rate doesn't drop too low before we get to him. We have to go NOW. He doesn't have a lot of time. I have supplies to treat an overdose with me. He is going to hate me for it, but it's all that I can do right now." Maggie told them.

Anna grabbed her boots and jacket and jumped in the car with Maggie and Marty. Marty threw on the four-wheel drive and bypassed going through the gate. He headed down a long ago used logging trail that would cut a good twenty minutes off the trip.

They bounced roughly over the road as Marty maneuvered the vehicle as quickly as he could without getting them stuck. The tension on the ride was overwhelming and Anna was doing everything she could not to have a full-blown panic attack.

Once they hit the main road, Marty pushed the vehicle, as fast it would go. They managed to make it to the trail- head in thirty minutes. They found Antonio's vehicle parked at the edge of the woods, no one in sight.

"Fuck" Anna yelled out.

"Shut up Anna, We don't know if anyone is around here. Now focus and let's go find your husband." Marty told her. His fear for Daryl's safety was wearing his patience thin.

Maggie, Marty, and Anna began to climb the rugged trail aggressively. The rocky terrain and steep narrow trail were difficult to follow, and they constantly had to watch their footing. It would be too easy to break an ankle or a leg if you were to step wrong. Anna didn't know how Daryl would have been able to make it any sort of distance in the condition that he was in. She could feel her chest tighten in complete fear.

"Where is he? I can't imagine he would have been able to make it very far." She said with a frustrated voice. Her question was answered another fifty yards up the trail. Her heart hit her stomach as she looked up to see Daryl laid out unconscious on the ground and Michonne administering CPR trying desperately to get his heart to start beating again.

As Anna began to panic, Marty and Maggie jumped into action. Maggie rushed over to where Daryl lay collapsed on the ground, and grabbed her pack and dumped her supplies on the ground. She grabbed a pre-packaged syringe, and just like a scene out of Pulp Fiction, she pushed a shot of pure Adrenaline straight into Daryl's chest.

Anna dropped to her knees and cradled Daryl's head in her lap. He was pale and lifeless and looked like death had already taken him. No sooner had Anna assumed the worse, Daryl's heart roared to life and he gasped for breath. Maggie jumped back and then said, "We did it, Oh thank God…"

Michonne slumped back to the ground, and Petey and Antonio stood there dumbfounded. There was a look of confusion on everyone's faces. "How did you guys know he was in trouble?" Petey asked in a heavy Italian accent?

"Carol. She gave him a mass dosage of her sedatives. I found out just after you left." Maggie told them.

Anna was talking soothingly to Daryl so only he could hear her, "It's ok baby, hang on, we are gonna get you the help you need. Oh God you scared me."

Daryl was unable to speak, and his eyes were staring wildly into nothingness. His body was sweaty and his breathing was labored. Maggie hated what she was going to have to do next, but it had to be done, they had to get Daryl's toxicity levels down immediately or he wouldn't be out of danger.

Maggie pulled out a bottle marked "Charcodote" and had Anna lift Daryl so that he could drink the black substance.

Anna asked, "What is that? It looks horrible."

Maggie responded truthfully, "It is horrible, it's activated Charcoal. It will help keep Daryl's body from absorbing the medication fully. He is going to be sick from this though." She then put the bottle to Daryl's mouth and poured the black substance down his throat.

He immediately began to gag and Anna and Maggie both coaxed him to help him keep the liquid down.

Maggie then said, " I am so sorry Daryl, and I know this is horrible, but you need to keep this down because we can't risk losing you."

Daryl immediately began to heave, and Anna grabbed him "Stop Daryl, you have to keep it down. Do whatever you can, but you can't vomit. I know you can do this baby, It's horrible, but you have to tolerate it, OK."

Still unable to speak, his eyes finally acknowledged Anna's presence and he simply blinked. Anna rubbed her hand back and forth over his back and Maggie administered some water to him to try to help settle his stomach. Daryl was in bad shape, and they were going to need to get him back down the rugged trail, and get him to the compound. Maggie had some Saline that she could also administer that would help to flush out his system.

Anna was suddenly grateful. What if Maggie hadn't found out what Carol had done? Daryl might very well be dead right now. And she was thankful that Maggie knew what to do to treat a drug overdose.

"Maggie, how did you know what to do and how did you have these supplies on hand?" Anna inquired.

" I used to volunteer at a rehab center, so they were used to dealing with drug overdoses. I learned. The adrenaline is basically an EpiPen, and we keep those on hand just in case someone has an allergic reaction, and the charcoal is commonly used in accidental poisonings. We tried to stock everything we possibly could, so every time we he scavenged a medical supply store, pharmacy, or doctor's office, we would take what we could to stock up. These were all in Daddy's kit."

"Thank you Maggie. I owe you so much."

"No you don't. We owe Daryl everything for all he has done for us. I'm just glad I can help."

After they were able to get Daryl stabilized, Marty decided that he, Petey, and Antonio would continue on up to the western overlook, and resume the original task at hand. Michonne, Maggie, and Anna would get Daryl back to the vehicle and make sure he was taken care of properly. Marty knew this set back would piss Daryl off like an angry nest of bees, but he also knew that Daryl would not want the mission to fail. So he would be Daryl's proxy.

The women were able to get Daryl to the vehicle. It was a struggle going as slow as they were, but they managed to all get down to the base of the trail and then get Daryl into the SUV. His labored breaths and lack of response were both weighing on all three of them heavily. Michonne took the keys and drove them back to the compound. This time they opted to go the longer route through the front gate. They didn't want to expose Daryl to the rough trip back up the old logging trail.

When they finally got back to the compound, they brought Daryl into the house and helped him to his room. He could barely move, and his coordination was non existent. He still hadn't spoken and offered no resistance to the aid that he was receiving. He kept trying to nod off, but Anna wouldn't let him sleep. Maggie mentioned that he could possibly fall into a coma, so Anna was determined to keep him awake until the danger passed.

The sedative's effects were weighing heavily on Daryl. He had begun to sweat profusely and was thrashing about like he was fighting imaginary demons. Maggie suggested that he was probably hallucinating. This was bad. Worse than Anna could imagine.

Viv, Isabella, and Joe joined them shortly after their return and decided to restrain Daryl so that Maggie could start a Saline drip. They needed to flush his system of the medication as quickly as possible. Maggie wasn't sure how much of the drugs Daryl had absorbed. All she knew to do was follow all of the detox procedures she had learned from her volunteer days at the rehabilitation center.

Finally, after two hours, Daryl's breathing became relaxed and Maggie had successfully administered two bags of Saline solution. Fortunately it looked like Daryl was out of Danger and Maggie said that she felt it would be OK to let him finally sleep off the effects of the drugs.

Everyone left Anna to care for Daryl and as soon as they were alone, she stripped off his sweaty clothes and got some cold wash cloths and began to wipe down his body. Even though he had yet to communicate, she could feel his body relax as she washed him down, and she watched as his chest began to rise and fall in a much more relaxed state. He was going to make it, and it looked like the effects of the ordeal would be minimal.

Carol was seething. She had played the crazy damsel in distress for all it was worth, and it had failed miserably. She would allow Maggie to give her a sedative, and as soon as she could, she would spit it out and dispose of it.

The idea had come to her about two weeks after Daryl had left, suffer a fake a mental breakdown and have the others convince Daryl that he was Carol's only hope for salvation.

She was sure he would return, and if he heard that she had grieved herself 'crazy', then he would realize how important she was to him. She would take advantage of Daryl's sense of Honor. It was a dirty card to play, but she had been sure it would work. She had not taken into consideration that he would fall in love with someone else. She felt betrayed and angry. So she set her mind to taking out the ultimate revenge.

Ed had made a fool of her their entire marriage, and this time she wasn't going to let Daryl do the same thing. Maybe by feigning insanity she could save face, and maybe he would realize that it was really her that he was in love with. She came up with the idea of a fake pregnancy, just to add credibility to the story of her impending insanity, but it still didn't work.

She knew when he came by the house today it was only because Rick and Sasha had asked him too. He didn't love her, he cared for her as a friend, but he loved Anna, and now he was saddled with a baby that wasn't technically his. She was angry, and she was jealous and wanted nothing more than take out that anger on Anna, but Anna was too well protected by her family. So she took it out the only way she could, she took it out on Daryl. She slipped him the large dose of sedatives, knowing he wasn't going hunting. She had overheard Tyrese and Sasha talking about the scouting trip, and that Daryl would be tackling rugged and dangerous terrain, so she reacted out of anger.

After she had given him the pills, Maggie showed up. Carol panicked and her sense of right and wrong kicked in. She may have just killed the only man she truly loved, the one who had been her friend and showed her more kindness than anyone in the group. She was suddenly overwhelmed with remorse and opted to play the 'crazy card' one more time, so she could at least let someone know what she had done. She wasn't sure if it was too late or not, but she had to do something to correct what she had done.

Now she knew she was running out of options. The group would deem her dangerous, and they would either imprison her, kill her, or banish her from the mountain. She had to put a plan together and would get out of there soon. She had decided that tonight as everyone went to sleep, she would take some supplies and then leave. She would head to Laurel Springs and offer herself up to them. She knew they would probably imprison her with the other women, but she deserved it. She just didn't want to face Daryl anymore. She had betrayed his trust and his friendship for her own selfish reasons. It was the only solution she could think of, it would be her way of making amends for all she had done.

**So, there you have it...true confessions, is this the end for Carol? Can she redeem herself?**

**Please Review Review Review and let me know what you think...**

**Thanks all of you! And thank you for the Favs and Follows. It means the world to me...**

**Have a Fantabulous Day!**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


	50. Chapter 50

**WOW Guys...Chapter 50**

**and my normal disclaimer...I don't own any part of the Walking dead or it's characters. **

Anna didn't want to let Daryl go. She sat up in the bed all night long and cradled his head in her lap watching his breaths and making sure his vital signs stayed strong. He had come close to slipping away from all of them, yet again, and she was terrified.

The scouting groups had returned just after dark the night before and Rick had stopped by to check on Daryl after he had heard what Carol had done. Rick new that Carol had crossed a line that meant she was now considered a danger to them all, and she was no longer going to be tolerated by the remaining community. He had a decision that would need to be made, but he wanted to speak to Daryl before he acted on his intuition. Carol was a threat, and the threat needed to be removed.

As the morning light began to break through the windows, Daryl awoke with a strong urge to relieve himself. He felt like hell and was still groggy and a bit confused. Memories of the night before were coming to him in pieces, and he realized that Anna was asleep, yet she still had a death grip on his upper body. He felt guilty that whatever had happened to him had scared her.

He managed to get out of bed without waking her, and made his way to the bathroom. He felt sick to his stomach, and was still unaware of all the details that had made him feel this way. The previous day was a foggy blur. He remembered going on a scouting mission, and he began to feel bad shortly after they had begun to ascend the hiking trail, but after that all he had were flashes of people surrounding him, words being spoken, and a brief memory of Maggie stabbing him in the chest. Anna would need to fill him in on all the details.

Daryl stumbled back to bed. His coordination was completely fucked up and he was concerned that maybe he had possibly taken a blow to the head. He felt around his head though, and felt no physical signs of any type of head injury. What exactly had happened to him, the unknown was getting to him, and he couldn't hold off any longer, he needed answers, so he woke Anna. He hated to do it, but he had to know.

"Baby girl, wake up for me OK." He said in a gentle voice.

Anna stirred, and before he could ask her anything, she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a frantic kiss. He saw fear and relief in her eyes at the same time, and knew that whatever had happened to him had terrified her.

"Oh baby, you are awake, I'm so sorry this happened to you." She pleaded to him.

"What exactly happened? Everything is blurry and I feel like shit." He told her.

"Carol drugged you. Apparently she loaded your lemonade yesterday with a large dose of sedatives, enough to kill you. Maggie found out right after you left, and Marty brought us to you. We got there just in time, Michonne was administering CPR to you because your heart had stopped and Maggie stabbed you in the heart with a shot of adrenaline. They both saved your life."

"Fuck, what about the scouting expedition. We need that information. I reckon I could go back today, but that will put us a day behind schedule." He said, his body movements showing how pensive he was.

"Daryl, calm down. Marty went in your place with Antonio and Petey. They will debrief us all this morning at the meeting. Do you feel up to attending? Everyone will be here in about an hour or so."

"Yeah, I will be just fine. So what is going on with Carol now? Do they have her isolated somewhere that she can't be a danger to anyone? I'm just glad it was me that she did this too and not you. I can't believe how badly her mental state has deteriorated. It just kills me." Daryl lamented.

"To be honest Daryl, I don't know what they have done with her. Rick stopped by last night and we filled him in on the details. He didn't look happy and mentioned something about her crossing the line. I hate to say it, but she needs to be gone far away from here, but I don't know the most humane way to handle it. I know she meant a lot to you, but her actions can't be tolerated." She said.

Daryl then spoke, "I agree. I need to get with Rick and see what he plans on doing. I know him well enough to know this will take a toll on him mentally. But I also know he will make the right decision."

Sure enough, about an hour later the house was quickly filling with neighbors and the various men that Marty and Joe had brought back to the area. Antonio and Petey both greeted Daryl warmly, the normally quiet Antonio spoke, "Man, you scared the fuck out of me. Hope you took care of that crazy bitch, We can't afford to lose good men like you." It was a rough delivery, but Daryl could see that Antonio was offering a heart felt sign of respect.

Rick briefly spoke to Daryl, and informed him that they would speak after the meeting was over. Maggie had heavily sedated Carol and she was in a deep sleep up at the house she shared with Tyrese and Sasha. They would be making a decision about her fate within a few hours, and everyone knew what that decision would eventually be, She would have to leave.

Marty started the meeting, much as he had the previous meetings. "So we were able to get a good view of the activities going on in Laurel Springs. As previously suspected, they are heavily armed and are operating round the clock watches on the roads going in and out of the town. They are using the fire station as the place where they are keeping all their extra weapons, so that will have to be one of the first targets that we take out. Both the east and west sides of town are much less fortified, but they are not completely unguarded."

Bill Mocksley spoke up; "My boys and I know the western side of the town very well. We have hunted and tracked through that area for years. If you will allow it, we would like to lead the team that comes in from the west, because we know some more covert ways to get in from that direction. We are also very familiar with the area that backs up to the campground. It had been mentioned a few days ago that the majority of bikers are using that area as a living quarters, and I say we go heavy with weapons into that specific area and it should cause mass chaos."

Marty responded, "Bill that sounds good. You and your boys are in charge of the west then. I will assign you four more men and that will give you a team of ten. Do you think that will be enough?"

"Should be plenty." He told him.

Marty continued on, "Thomas, I am putting you in charge of the eastern slope. That will bring you to the hotel where the women are being kept. It is also much less fortified than the other portions of town. I would like to have some of the women with you and your primary goal is to release the hostages and lead them back up the ridge. You can take Phyllis, James and Martha Pruitt, Sasha, Tyrese, Glenn, Viv, Isabella, and Anna, along with three of Jimmy's crew from Charlotte. Michonne is going to be working from the inside, because she is going in directly with Daryl. She will help coordinate the hostages inside so they know where to go."

After hearing that Michonne would be going in directly, several individuals gasped at the idea of a female putting herself in direct danger. Daryl just scoffed, he knew Michonne was more capable than most of the men in the group. Michonne offered up one of her famous stares that said "don't fuck with me" and everyone's grumbling stopped abruptly. Michonne was a tough woman, and it didn't sit well with her that people would question her capabilities.

Timmy Sanderson spoke up, "What about the rest of us? I ain't gonna take too kindly to the idea of me having to sit on the sidelines."

"Calm down Timmy." Marty directed. "The rest of us are splitting into two groups, one lead by Joe and one lead by me. Each group will approach directly from the North and the South at the same time, directly on the road into Laurel Springs."

Marty then went into his pep talk to the group, "The key to all of this working is being prepared. We aren't competing with each other, but we are working as a team. We have to coordinate everything down to the smallest detail. Michonne and Daryl are putting themselves at the greatest risk of all of us. I want two snipers to keep their eye on each of them at all times. And I want them wearing Kevlar vests as well. Do you two understand me?" Marty looked directly at Michonne and Daryl, who both nodded at his directions.

Marty finally began winding down the meeting, "Tomorrow evening I want everyone here for a final discussion of Logistics, and then we will plan on attacking the next day. If you are the praying type, I suggest you start now. These are our lives that we are protecting, and no one gets left behind. If we do this right, our losses will be minimal. So take a look around at the people in this room, and realize, these are the people you are protecting."

The speech that Marty delivered seemed to have inspired everyone. Spirits were high, and everyone seemed focused. Even Timmy Sanderson seemed to have benefited from Marty's directives. He had toned down his bravado and told Marty he would do whatever was needed. This was a healthy attitude to possess when you are looking at possible death in the face.

When the meeting was over, Daryl sought out Rick and led him out to the back porch. Daryl fired up a cigarette, and then offered Rick some of Joe's scotch. Rick obliged and Daryl poured him a good size glass of the light brown liquid. Rick put the glass to his lips and savored the flavor. "This is good shit Daryl"

"The best, Anna's uncle likes his luxuries." Daryl joked.

"Well you know why I need to talk to you, It's about Carol." Rick began.

"I know. And I know what has to be done is killing you. I know you Rick, it doesn't set well with you." Daryl said.

"So how do we do this?" Rick said.

"I'll do it. I will get her some supplies, take her a ways away from here, get her a vehicle, and send her on her way. She's too much of a risk to my family. I fucking hate that I gotta do this, but it's my fault she is in the shape she is in, so I will handle it." Daryl said.

"What the hell Daryl, this ain't your fault by any means. You are going to kill yourself taking the weight of everything on your shoulders. I am not going to let you handle this alone. We will do it together, It's what we do." Rick said.

Daryl simply nodded. "We will do it in an hour. I want to blindfold her so she can't get back here. It seems cruel, but if she meets up with someone else, I don't want her to retaliate and disclose our location."

Rick finished his glass of scotch and Daryl stubbed out his cigarette. "Ok, I will meet you up at Carol's in an hour. You sure you're ready for this?"

Daryl replied, "No, but it has to be done. See ya in an hour."

Rick left and Daryl made his way to the kitchen to grab something to eat. He sat down at the table and told everyone what him and Rick were planning to do. There wasn't much reaction by anyone so Joe finally spoke,

"I hate to say it, but it's the best option. I won't risk my family again. What happened yesterday almost took you from us Daryl, and I would be devastated if we lost you. Son I love you like you were one of my own, I think everyone in this room does, So please know that we all support you one hundred percent."

Daryl didn't think he would ever get used to having support from his family. The feeling was overpowering, and Daryl could feel himself getting emotional. If Merle were here he would call him a pussy and slap him in the head, but Merle wasn't here anymore, and Daryl was learning to live his life as his own. It was a truly liberating feeling.

After they were done with breakfast, Daryl excused himself to get ready for this dreaded trip. He vowed he would do whatever it took to protect his family, but he never thought that it would mean he would have to end one of the few friendships he had ever had. Life offered up tough decisions, and this was one of the toughest that he ever had to make.

Rick met Daryl up at the home that Carol was staying in. Sasha answered the door and let them in and Tyrese spoke and offered a friendly handshake. Tyrese was a gentle giant, intimidating in appearance, but had a kind heart. That was one of the reasons Daryl had selected him and Sasha to stay with Carol. He trusted that Tyrese would watch after her. But even Tyrese couldn't have suspected that Carol would regress so badly.

Rick spoke, "Is Carol sleeping?"

Tyrese nodded and pointed them towards her room. Rick walked over to her door and Daryl followed behind him. Rick knocked and then opened the door and entered the room. All Daryl heard was Rick swearing, "Shit."

Carol's room was empty, her clothes and pack were gone, and there was a note addressed to Daryl on her pillow. This was bad. Not only did she know where their exact location was, no one knew if she would be seeking revenge as a scorned woman.

**I hate to say it, but I think this story is starting to wind down. A lot has to happen in the next few chapters...so I hope I don't disappoint.**

**Thanks everyone for your support and your awesome reviews, and the favorites and follows. This cold weather is killing me, so I am glad I have this outlet to keep me occupied. I have decided I will write another Daryl centric story after I am done with this one...I just hope you guys stick with me after this story is done.**

**Take Care each and everyone of you, and I will give you the next update tomorrow.**

**Please Review Review Review for me, and if you are just jumping on to this story, feel free to review on the older chapters too.**

**Thanks-**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


	51. Chapter 51

*****WARNING...Sexy times in this chapter******

Daryl read the letter that Carol had left behind, and thought he would be sick. She had faked the whole fucking thing, all in the name of love. She had played him and the rest of the group, and Daryl Dixon was now an angry man. Her actions had almost killed him and taken him away from the woman and child that he loved. Any sympathy that Daryl had held for Carol was gone.

Now they had a bigger problem, Carol knew exactly where they were located, and she knew the details of what would be going down in two days with Laurel Springs. He had no idea where she had gone, but knew she was on foot when she left. The worse thing was that not only did she put his group in danger, she would now put the entire community in Danger. How would someone react knowing that most of the survivors in this area had food, electricity, and even a plane?

Daryl took his frustrations out on the wall closest to him. The sheet rock didn't stand a chance once it met up with his angry fists. He began pacing like a caged tiger, breathing rapidly, and letting out a stream of profanities that would make a sailor blush.

Finally he spoke to Rick, who had sat quietly and let Daryl vent. "We gotta find her and eliminate her. She is a threat now, and we eliminate threats."

Rick was taken back at how cold Daryl had suddenly become. Daryl had trusted Carol, and she betrayed that trust. Rick could sense that to Daryl, this was worse than any type of physical pain he could suffer. Daryl didn't offer up trust easily, and now Daryl felt like a fool. He was blaming himself for something that he had no control over. Daryl was becoming his own worse enemy.

Rick quietly spoke, "Let's go warn your family, we need to beef up patrols and put a couple of teams together to try and locate her. Everyone needs to be armed and this evening we need to keep the lights to a minimum. The illumination is too easily detectable from a distance, especially if someone is now looking for us."

"Fine, let's go." Daryl's response was short and too the point.

It took them just a few minutes to make their way back to the Martinelli compound. Immediately when they walked into the house Anna could see Daryl was furious. He had completely shut down and she sensed a coldness to him that she wasn't used too. She didn't like him like this, but didn't want to challenge him right now either.

Daryl didn't wait for everyone to get settled he just began speaking, his voice cold and angry, "Carol faked the whole damn thing, and she played me and every last one of us for a fool, and the long and the short of this is that I fucked up. We are all in danger. If Laurel Springs gets wind of where we are, and what we have, then we are as good as dead."

Anna's heart sank. Daryl was blaming himself for what happened. He was his own worse enemy, and now he was internalizing his betrayal, and shutting down. She couldn't let him go down this path. He would destroy himself, and probably end up getting himself killed because he felt guilty.

Joe then spoke, "Daryl, take a deep breath and listen to me right now. I understand your anger, but you can't blame yourself for this…"

Daryl retorted, "Why the fuck not? I'm the one that lead her on, and I am the one who brought her here, now she is out there, probably wanting revenge on me and Anna, and she knows where we are. I wouldn't put it past that conniving bitch to walk right up to these assholes at Laurel Springs and tell them what we are doing. This completely fucks up our plans."

Marty then responded, "Daryl, don't take this all on yourself. Second-guessing your actions is never a healthy response. We still have time to change the plan. I will get everyone back up here this afternoon and we will explain that we have been compromised. No need for blame, its just a fact."

Daryl didn't say a word. He got up from the table and headed out to the back porch because he needed a cigarette, and a drink. It wasn't the best solution right now, but it was one that always worked in the past to get him through rough times. Carol had betrayed him, probably wanted revenge, and worst of all, she had made him second-guess the man that he had become. Had he let his guard down too much?

Marty, Joe, and Rick continued the conversation without Daryl. Joe immediately went to the radio room and made contact with the neighbors to let them know that they had a "situation". Joe was unable to raise the Blevins on the radio, so Isabella and Viv decided that they would take the Navigator and go tell them what was going on directly. The men needed to focus on securing the mountain and establishing lookouts. They couldn't continue to live in the false security that they had been living. Shit was getting real.

Anna wasn't sure how to handle Daryl. He was a mess and she hadn't seen him this angry before. She went and gathered up Hunter and then walked out to the porch where he was chain-smoking. He immediately put out his cigarette when she came through the door with the baby.

"Anna, I need to be alone right now. I can't handle anything good in my life for the time being. I'm sorry, but if you stay I am just going to say something that will end up hurting your feelings."

Anna replied, her voice held her own anger, "Daryl, Shut up. Just shut the fuck up now. I refuse to let you go down this path. You don't get to shut me out because you are upset. If you don't get this shit out of your system now, you are just going to let your heart turn to stone. You have to learn to let others help you when you are struggling."

Daryl looked at her but didn't speak, so she continued to talk to him. "I want you to stay here for a little while. Everyone else can handle things right now, because I don't think you are capable of making reasonable decisions currently. Now come with me." She grabbed his hand and led him to their room, not giving him a chance to say no.

When they entered the room, she went in and poured him a bath. While the tub was filling, she disappeared for a few minutes with Hunter. When she returned, Hunter wasn't with her. Daryl gave her an inquisitive look, and Anna replied, "Carrie is watching after hunter for a while for me. By the way, she said you promised her a rabbit's foot, guess that's cheaper than ten bucks an hour for baby-sitting fees."

Anna slowly began to pull Daryl's clothes from him and then guided him into the oversized garden tub that was in the attached bathroom. She pulled her own clothes off and slipped behind him in the tub. She took a wash cloth and began washing his back, neck, shoulders, chest, and stomach. When she slipped below his stomach she could feel his fully erect manhood. She took her hand and began stroking him, causing him to emit a low groan.

Daryl's eyes became heavily lidded and he had to fight the urge to pull her around and sit her on his lap so she could straddle him. Anna could sense he was trying to take control of the situation, and she wanted to be in control right now.

She whispered seductively in his ear, "Shhh baby, just relax and let me make you feel good, Ok?"

He nodded and let her continue to rub her hands across his body. She began placing soft kisses along the back of his neck, and then his shoulders, while still slowly stroking him. She could feel his heart beating, so very thankful considering it had stopped just the day before. She continued to whisper in his ear, "I love you baby, just breathe and let me savor your body…" Just the sound of her voice was driving him wild.

He could feel her erect nipples resting against his back, and her right hand was stroking his erection expertly, while her other free hand was running up and down his torso. The feeling of her touch was electric against his body.

When he could no longer take it anymore, he turned around and pulled her body around his own. He then began suckling her breasts, causing her to arch her back as the pleasure began to overtake her body. He stopped briefly and asked, "Are you healed up enough for me to do this?"

"It's perfect baby, don't stop." She replied breathlessly.

So Daryl continued to savor her. His tongue lashing at each nipple, and then he began placing gentle kisses along her collarbone and slowly up her neck. At that moment their lips met and their tongues began to intertwine. Anna began rubbing her lower body against his erection, becoming more desperate as the kisses began to deepen.

Her taught nipples were now being teased by his fingertips, and she began moan. The heat between her legs was growing, and her need to feel him inside of her was overwhelming. Without breaking the kiss, he stood up as she was still attached to him, with her legs wrapped tightly around his waste. He carried her out of the bathroom and laid her down on the bed, the bodies not losing contact.

He moved his mouth from hers, and once again began working his way down her body. Tasting every bit of her on the way down. He felt like he couldn't get enough of her, and continued to work his way lower down her body. Her hips thrashing up wildly towards him, trying to make contact with his body with her burning core. She had tried to control the situation with him, but now he had taken over her completely, and she wanted all of him against her body.

He moved his head down between her thighs, and gently began kissing them up to just below her womanhood. He could feel the heat radiating from her core, and slowly took his fingertip and began to rub her gently across her nub. She let out a gasp when he first made contact, and began to writhe across the sheets.

He could feel her nub harden with his touch, and wanted to continue further, so he slowly began to lay gentle kisses against her tightened bundle of nerves. Then as softly as he could, he took his hot tongue and began to lap at her wetness, causing her to scream out his name in pleasure. He began lapping her nub at an increased speed, and she began to buck wildly, seemingly losing control. He could taste her juices as he continued to lavish her with his tongue.

When he felt she was getting close to the point of no return, he pulled his mouth away from her, and stood up. She gasped when he broke contact, but before she could react, he suddenly plunged his throbbing erection into her silky hot center. She could feel him filling her up completely, and rocked herself hard against him.

He started off slow, just so he could maintain his composure, but Anna couldn't take it slow, her orgasm was building, and she was hanging on by a thread. She took over and began to control his pace. Every time he would thrust deep inside of her, she would clench her inner muscles, tightening around his erection and sending warm sensations throughout his body.

Anna began rocking her hardened bundle of nerves against him harder and harder, causing him to thrust faster and deeper. They were both heading quickly to the point of no return, suddenly Anna screamed out, "Oh God Daryl, Come with me baby, please come with me…" as her thighs began to tighten around him, he could feel her legs shaking, and her nipples were hard as rocks. She was having one of the most intense orgasms she had ever experienced, and pulled Daryl over the edge with her. He let out a breathless groan and she could feel his warmth spread inside of her. He collapsed on top of her, careful enough not to let her handle his full body weight.

Their hearts were beating so loud she was sure that everyone in the house could hear them, but she didn't care. She had just had one of the most intimate and incredible sexual experiences of her life and the look on Daryl's face was priceless. Between him panting and trying to catch his breath, she could see him smiling. A truly beautiful, genuine smile.

Whatever guilt he had been carrying with him an hour ago, was now gone, and he felt the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. Anna had worked a miracle and found a way to get him to relax.

All the problems with Carol and Laurel Springs seemed a lifetime away, and Daryl didn't want this moment to end, but he knew that he had to return to reality. His plan of infiltrating Laurel Springs with Michonne's help was not an option, but they would find another way to rescue those people.

They would work together as a group to take care of the situation. Anna had helped him to realize that he couldn't do everything by himself. As a group, they could each take a piece of the burden, and he wouldn't have to take the weight of the world on his shoulders. His family was there to support him, and now he was there to equally support them. Their problems were his problem, and his problems were theirs as well.

He rolled over and kissed Anna, who was still glowing from their lovemaking. He pulled her body into his and began to gently run his fingers through her hair. "Did you like that baby girl? He whispered.

"Very much so Mr. Dixon. Now if we can both manage to stay healthy, I say we do that MUCH more often." She said as she gently stroked his belly. She could feel Goosebumps on his arms. She loved how he felt relaxed, with his arms around her. This experience that they just shared was pure bliss and helped them both forget the worlds problems just for a while.

Knowing that they needed to get up and join the rest of the family, they quickly fumbled for clothes and exited the bedroom. They both noticed how quiet the house was as they walked through. Carrie had managed to get the baby to sleep and was lying across Viv's bed drawing pictures on a sketch- pad she had managed to locate. It was good to see her being a normal kid.

Finally they came across Joe, who was down in the basement cleaning several of the guns. He informed them that Marty had left with Rick to try and track down Carol's whereabouts. Then Anna asked, "Where are Aunt Viv and Isabella, shouldn't they be back by now?"

Joe then responded, "Let me see if I can get Thomas on the radio and see when they left. Knowing the two of them they got caught up gossiping with Phyllis."

Joe got on the radio and was able to make contact with Thomas, "Thomas, Joe here, Have Isabella and Viv left yet? I was expecting them back by now."

It took a few moments for Thomas to reply, "Joe, they never made it here, I didn't know they were planning on stopping by."

Silence. The look of Panic on Joe's face was undeniable.

"Thomas, can you guys get over here now. Something is wrong, we have been compromised, and now I think they might have my wife…"

**OK...I totally suck at writing sex scenes...so take that into consideration when reading this. Anyhow, I am thinking there will be about 5 or 6 chapters left. Hate to see this story winding down, but I don't want it to get to a point and then just drag with the day to day...**

**Hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Our Lady mobsters are possibly in a bit of trouble, and we wonder now if Carol might have a little something to do with it?**

**Enjoy my sweeties...**

**And thanks for all the reviews. Please feel free to review some more for me, especially since I plan on writing another story, and I want to correct any errors in my writing style, or story lines. Also feel free to share with your friends...**

**Hope y'all stick with me on the next one!**

**Love each of you bunches...**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


	52. Chapter 52

*****Warning- Physical violence against females mentioned briefly in this chapter*****

Viv and Isabella left shortly after Rick and Marty had headed out. For all intents and purposes, the two women were sisters. In reality, they were distant cousins. Viv's family had taken Isabella in after her mother was killed, and her father was unable to care for her properly. Viv had started dating Marty in high school, and Isabella was introduced to Joe shortly thereafter.

Viv had always been the smart and caring one of the two, and Isabella had been the stunningly beautiful one with the witty personality. No matter what situation the women were exposed too, they were always there for each other. They both knew what line of business their husbands had chosen to pursue and neither one questioned their men's choices. They supported their husbands, and they supported each other.

Being mob wives meant that both ladies learned to be tough. Viv had taken medical classes, so that she would have the ability to treat her husband or Joe if they were injured. There were times that going to the hospital would be too much of a risk of getting caught or linked to "business" that the law would frown upon.

Isabella learned how to charm even the most stoic of individuals. She was always the gracious host, and the doting beautiful wife. She made Joe look good, and he rewarded her handsomely for her loyalties and love. Both women worked as a team with their husbands, and as a result, they were well taken care of. Neither man ever dared to look at another woman, a rarity in their line of work. It wasn't fear that kept their men faithful, but it was love and adoration.

When they had made it about half way to the Blevins home, Viv suddenly had an overwhelming urge to relieve herself. "Hey dear, pull over for me real quick, I need to pee, now."

Isabella responded, "I swear you have a bladder the size of a peanut, can't you wait until we get to the Blevins house, we will be there in fifteen minutes."

"No, I need to go now, it will only take a second."

Isabella pulled over and Viv headed off to the tree line to take care of business. While waiting on Viv Isabella spotted a grove of familiar looking trees on the opposite side of the road. She headed over to investigate. Her assumption was correct, it was a grove of apple trees. She could come back in a few months and pick apples to preserve and cook with. She was mentally going through a list of recipes she could make when she was startled by the sound of a man's voice.

"Now what do we have here? I'm not used to seeing something as classy looking as you in these parts. Is that your shiny Lincoln parked out on the road?" His voice was dark and threatening.

Isabella suddenly was filled with panic. Her weapons were in the vehicle, and Viv was nowhere to be seen, which was actually a relief. By the looks of the man, he had to be one of the men from Laurel Springs. He looked like your stereotypical biker. His hair was long and greasy, he was dressed in dirty leather, and he was covered in satanic tattoos. His eyes were menacing and she could smell the booze on him from ten feet away. She knew she was in trouble and prayed Viv would stay hidden.

The man moved towards Isabella and grabbed her roughly by her arm. He then began to drag her towards the vehicle. She began resisting him as he pulled, and was greeted with a closed fist against her cheek. The pain made her wince and caused her to stumble.

"Look bitch, don't try fucking with me. You do as I tell you, or this is going to end badly for you. Right now I am your worse nightmare, and I have no problem slicing you up like the worthless piece of meat you are. Now you are coming with me, and you are going to be answering some questions for us, you got it?"

Isabella didn't say a word. She would die before she told anyone about anything she knew. She was as good as dead one way or the other, so there would be no way should betray her family. If there was one thing she had learned all these years being associated with Joe and Marty, it was that family loyalty was all that mattered.

Viv heard a man's voice and froze. She came to the clearing in the trees just in time to see Isabella getting pushed roughly into the Lincoln. Her heart stopped for just a moment. How did he find them? Immediately her mind went to Carol. What if Carol had done exactly as Daryl had suggested, she could of sought them out and traded her freedom for information. It made total sense that the desperate woman would resort to desperate measures.

Viv was at a loss of what to do. She had no weapons with her to retaliate against the man that now had Isabella, and if she gave herself up then both of them would be taken captive. Dreading her decision, she dropped down low to the ground and waited for the man to drive off. She would do everything possible to get Isabella back safely, but right now she had to get back to the compound and warn everyone what had happened.

She wished she had chosen to wear warmer clothes and she was mentally kicking herself for allowing herself to become so complacent. If only she had done as Isabella had suggested, and waited until they got the Blevins home, none of this would have happened. But if Carol had indeed tipped off their location to the men, then it was at least to her advantage that she hadn't been captured so she could relay the information.

After she had been walking for a good hour, she heard a vehicle approach. She immediately dropped low to the ground, and upon further inspection, she realized that it was the Blevins vehicle coming down the road, she stood up quickly and flagged the vehicle down.

Immediately, Thomas spotted Viv and pulled over to the side of the road so he could get her into the car.

"Viv, what happened? Joe is panicking. He said you ladies were on your way to our place, but obviously you never mad it. Where is Isabella?"

"She has been kidnapped. I think it was one the men from Laurel Springs. I also think they know about us now. The woman Carol that left earlier, I think she told them everything to save her own scrawny ass." Viv told him.

"I know that they wanted to have an emergency meeting, but I didn't know why. This is serious." He said.

The Blevins and Viv arrived back at the compound within ten minutes. Daryl greeted them at the gate and he let them in. Marty and Rick still had not arrived back from their scouting trip, and time was getting critical. They needed to either strike fast, or dig in and prepare for a direct attack.

Joe was beside himself when Viv told him what had happened with Isabella. Immediately he was ready to go to Laurel Springs himself to rescue his wife. Daryl had to physically restrain him to keep him from flying out of the house after his beloved wife.

Finally Marty and Rick arrived back, and confirmed that Carol's tracks led towards Laurel Springs. They could only conclude that she had indeed divulged everything she knew to the men. It was now just a matter of time before the vicious gang attacked them, unless they chose to attack first.

For the second time that day, everyone was gathered at the Martinelli home. The triumphant attitude shared after the meeting earlier in the day was now replaced with nervous apprehension. They no longer had the advantage of a surprise that they thought that they had.

Marty stood up and spoke, "As many of you know, we believe our location has been disclosed to the enemy in Laurel Springs. Our plans to attack in two days have been shot to hell and are no longer a viable option. We have two options, we can wait for them to come to us, which they will, or we can go after them now, tonight."

"Tonight, how can we be ready to go in tonight?" Anna spoke up.

Daryl then spoke, "Count me in."

Marty then continued, "We can follow the same plans as earlier, with the exception of Michonne and Daryl will not be going in to disable the tanks. Unfortunately, we are going to have to take our risks with the tanks, but hopefully we can hit them before they can gain their positions and retaliate."

A thought suddenly crossed Daryl's mind, "Thomas, can you fly that plane at night?"

"Absolutely, what's going through that head of yours Daryl?" Thomas inquired.

Daryl replied quickly, "We could drop grenades on them if we could fly low enough, and take out the tanks that way."

Anna then spoke, "But if you are low enough to drop the grenades on them, then you will be low enough for them to fire at you. It's suicide."

Daryl looked at her nervously. He knew she was right, but at this point, there weren't any other options. He was about to speak when Marty interrupted,

"Anyone in the plane will be heavily protected with Kevlar, and helmets. If they move in fast enough, they should be able to hit the targets and continue on. It's actually a very good idea and not as dangerous as you think. The darkness will play into our favor. We can also take advantage of the dozen or so Night vision goggles that we have. My suggestion is everyone loads up, and meets back here in two hours. That will put us at seven PM and we will stagger the starts so everyone arrives at the same time."

This was all happening fast. Anna pulled Daryl away from the group to speak to him. "I want to go with you."

"Ain't happening. If something happens, one of us needs to be around for Hunter. I don't even want you going out tonight." Daryl told her.

"Marty wants me to go in and help get the women out. You know it won't be as dangerous coming in from the eastern slope. Rick is stepping in for Thomas, so you know it will be safe. He cares about you too much to risk anything happening to me." She said.

Damn her. Damn her for her determination and her big heart, and Damn her for being right about Rick. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. But with them both going out on this mission, there was the risk that Hunter could be left an orphan, so Daryl played his card,

"Anna, I'm only thinking about Hunter. If this goes bad, she will be alone for the rest of her life. She has already lost her biological father, do you want her to lose the only mom and dad she knows? Please think about her when deciding. Do you really want to leave her an orphan?" Daryl delivered his response with a voice filled with angst.

"Fuck Daryl, when you put it like that you make me seem like the most selfish person ever. You Win. I will stay back here with Beth and Carrie, but only because you made a good case. It fucking sickens me to know you once again are putting yourself in extreme danger."

"Look, I know you don't like it, and I don't either, but I swear to you, once all of this goes away, I will take it easy and stick to hunting. I don't like this Rambo shit anymore than you do, but I am good at it, and this community needs me right now, and we will all benefit from these assholes being gone."

Daryl gave a short goodbye to Anna, "I will see you in a few hours. I'm sure I will need another bath when I get back" he winked at her.

"You get back in one piece, and you will get anything you want. I'll dance off a stripper pole if you want me too." She responded.

"Better start practicing baby girl." He embraced her and gave her a kiss. He then picked up his daughter and held her to his chest and kissed the top of her head. She looked back up him with her big eyes and gave him a huge smile.

"I love you sweetheart, Daddy will be back before you know it. Now take good care of your momma for me." He handed her back to Anna and then left the house.

He met Michonne out in the driveway. He had decided that she literally would be a good wingman in this situation. Her strength and her accuracy would be needed to take out the tanks. Their plan was to basically pull the pins and let the grenades drop on the targets. They only had five seconds before they would explode. They could circle back and hopefully drop eight grenades with minimal problems. They had fifteen of them, so if they needed more they would use them. However, the longer they flew directly at the group in Laurel Springs, the more danger they would be in.

They both strapped on the Kevlar vests and military helmets. That would help greatly with eliminating threats of gunshot wounds to the chest and head, and then they picked up an additional set to bring to Thomas. Once they were ready, they picked up several rounds of ammunition and automatic weapons and loaded them into Daryl's truck.

Daryl looked back at everyone with one final glance. He gave a nod to Rick, Marty, and Joe, and then headed out for Thomas's house. He quietly prayed that he would see these people again later in the evening.

As they were all about to venture out into an epic battle with the men at Laurel Springs, Isabella was holding her breath, waiting for a painful confrontation that had been promised to her by the leader of these men. She had been bound and gagged in one of the rooms in the motel, knowing that they wanted information from her.

Sure enough she heard a knock at the door and it opened. In walked a scarred up biker armed with a large hunting knife, and a steel pipe. He had a front gold tooth, and was no less than 6'5. He smelled of cheap cologne and sweat and his eyes were completely dead. The sight of him took her breath away, but she had to be strong, strong for her family, strong for her community, and strong for the other women being held against their will.

What she didn't count on was that Damian had someone to assist him with the interrogation. It was none other than Carol Peletier. The normally timid looking woman was looking far from timid as she came in the room, armed with a baseball bat and a much smaller, but very sharp looking knife. It dawned on Isabella that this had nothing to do with her, but everything to do with Carol wanting revenge on Daryl. And Carol was willing to do whatever it took to destroy him, even if it meant killing his family one by one.

**Soooo...the next chapter will begin the epic battle that this story has been leading to...**

**Hope everyone enjoys this story and this chapter. Please leave me lots and lots of reviews...I love reading everyone's feedback. And also, please feel free to share this story with your friends. I wrote this for YOU the readers, and hope you enjoy it as much as I have writing it.**

**Thanks Everyone- I truly mean it.**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


	53. Chapter 53

**Too much to cover in one chapter, so I am splitting the battle into two chapters...**

Anna had remained behind as she promised, with Hunter, Judith, Beth, Carl, and Carrie. Carl had shown his ass when his father had informed him that he would not be participating in the events that were unfolding tonight. Carl was full of anger and rage, and it broke her heart to see someone so young robbed of his youth.

As the nervousness of waiting on the group to return began to wear heavily on Anna she decided that she would try to engage Carl in conversation.

"So Carl, can I talk to you?" She asked simply

"It's a free country, talk all you want." He said. Venom filled his voice. Carrie picked up on his hostility immediately.

"Why do you hate me Carl? You haven't even made an effort to get to know me. Even the first time I met you, you wouldn't give me the time of day. I just want to know why. We are going to co-exist in this community together, and if I did something to piss you off, please let me know." She said to him sincerely, but trying to see why he felt the way he did towards her.

"I'm not having this discussion with you." He said blankly.

"Yes, I think you need too. Tell me why you don't like me." She insisted again.

"Fine, you waltzed into our group, the damsel in distress, and you took Daryl from us. Without Daryl we were weak. Hershel died, and we all were starving, until he came back and saved us again. You're just fucking with him, and you are using him."

"Whoa, wait a minute. First of all, you hated me before Daryl left with me. You hated me the minute you first saw me, and that had nothing to do with Daryl. Secondly, I love Daryl with every breath I have in my body. I was not some "piece of Ass" that was trying to hook him into taking care of Hunter or me. My family is here and I would have made my way here eventually, and just so you know, they ARE fully capable of surviving without Daryl. But Daryl is a good man that they have all come to love, so neither WE nor I are using him. Put that thought out of your mind NOW." The anger and frustration in Anna's voice was evident.

She then spoke again. "So are you going to answer my question truthfully now, or are you going to give me some bullshit story about me taking Daryl from you?"

"Fine, I saw you there pregnant, and all I could think of was my mom. How it wasn't fair that she died having Judith, and you were there, alive. I mean how stupid were you to even let yourself get into that situation? Women having babies don't survive, and my mom sacrificed herself so Judith could live. And here you are, up in your pretty palace playing house with Daryl." Carl's anger suddenly gave way to tears.

Anna couldn't help it; she pulled the emotional teen to her in a loving embrace. Carl didn't like her just because she reminded him that his mother had died. That is why he refused to give her a chance upon their first meeting, and if he grew attached, she could die in the same circumstances his mother did, and if she survived, then it wasn't fair that his mom passed and she survived. It wasn't her he was angry with, but it was the situation he had been left with that made him angry.

The emotional interlude between the two was interrupted by the sounds of explosions far off in the distance. Anna could feel her heart hit her stomach. It had begun now, and the outcome was now in God's hands. Would good win out over evil, or would the six of them that were left behind be all that was left to carry on.

Daryl, Michonne, and Thomas had loaded into the plane and prepared for take off. Daryl's adrenaline was running high, and he was eager to get this over with so he could return back to his beloved Anna. He glanced over at Michonne, and she looked to be concentrating deeply. They both knew what they had to do, pull the pins quickly, drop the grenades, and not get shot.

The night vision goggles were going to allow them to see their targets in the dark. There wasn't any doubt that the plane could be heard before it would be seen. Thomas had disabled the lights, so it would be difficult to pinpoint their actual location, especially because the terrain in the area would cause the sounds to bounce around in valley, making it difficult to tell which directions the sounds were coming.

It would only take ten minutes from take-off for them to be directly over Laurel Springs. They had received radio confirmation that all four teams were in place, and once Daryl and Michonne begin to drop the grenades, everyone would be moving in. Daryl could see the men on the ground as they approached Laurel Springs. They heard the plane and the men in Laurel Springs was scrambling, trying to react to the foreign sound of the plane that told them that they were being encroached upon.

Thomas dropped the plane low and Michonne and Daryl crowded into the open doorway preparing to quickly drop of the grenades on their targets. As they spotted the tanks, Michonne and Daryl began pulling the pins and dropping the grenades rapidly. Two made a direct hit on the two outer tanks, and four more hit close enough that they sent men running in all directions.

Thomas circled the plane back around, and Daryl and Michonne repeated the same actions as before. They had hoped to drop eight total grenades, but were fast enough to drop twelve in total. They had successfully disabled all of the tanks, and taken out about fifteen men in the wake of the explosions. Unfortunately, on the second pass, some of the men began to fire directly onto the plane.

Daryl heard and felt the bullets whizzing by him. One hit the doorframe just a few inches from his left cheek. Michonne grabbed the automatic rifles and handed one to Daryl and they began to fire on the men on the ground. Thomas began making a series of low passes, allowing Michonne and Daryl to get off some good shots on each pass.

The West Side of the town was suddenly mass chaos. The disorganized bikers were running in all directions, firing at anything that moved. Flames were now engulfing the buildings in the area of the campground, and fires were breaking out everywhere. Bill Mocksley and his boys were quite effectively handling the western threat.

Isabella now found herself alone with Carol in the room she was being held in. When the first explosions began, Damian had run out of the room to investigate what was happening. He trusted Carol to handle Isabella and get the information that he was seeking. They wanted the location of all the families that had survived in the area, and they wanted access to the Blevin's compound. It had been dark when Carol had first arrived on the plane a few days earlier, and she was unable to recall the exact location of the home. She needed Isabella to divulge the information so that they could take control of the plane.

Carol moved over towards Isabella, and began talking calmly, "You know, I don't have to kill you, but I will if you don't get me the information I need to give to Damian."

Isabella responded, "Why are you helping that bastard? Do you realize what he is doing with the women in this place? There are young girls here too, Carol, for the love of God, just let me go, and we can get out of here."

"Huh", Carol laughed out, "Just like that, "We" can get out of here. And why would I want to leave? I have nothing left. Your niece took everything I had left from me. Daryl and I had a good thing going, he was my best friend, and we were growing closer, until Anna showed up and took him from me. Do you know how bad it hurts to lose someone like that?"

Isabella lost her temper at Carol's response, "Listen to me Carol, I appreciate that Daryl and you were close friends, but did it ever cross your mind that he was not interested in anything more than friendship with you? If he was, then why didn't he pursue you in that manner? You were with him for close to three years, and nothing developed, don't you think that says a lot?"

"You don't know anything you fucking bitch. I had class, and I didn't throw myself at Daryl like that whore of a niece you have did. She poisoned his mind and seduced him. She KNEW she had that baby and that he wouldn't be able to abandon her in that condition. If Rick hadn't gone and fucked things up and threw her out, I would have been able to control the situation, and it would be me wearing that wedding ring, not her." Carol was starting to pace angrily.

"Carol, let me go, Now. Do you hear those explosions? Daryl and the others are here to get everyone out and to kill Damian and his men."

Carol lunged at Isabella in a fit of rage, her knife making contact with Isabella's upper arm. The force of the impact sent Isabella to the floor in the chair, with her arms still tied behind her back. When the chair fell back, Isabella heard a loud crack, and realized the right arm of the chair had fractured upon impact, and she was able to free one of her arms. The pain in her other arm was almost undetectable with the amount of adrenaline flowing through her body.

Isabella then wrapped her legs around Carol and caused her to lose her balance, falling to the floor practically on top of Isabella. With her free arm, she managed to grab the knife Carol had temporarily dropped and cut the bindings on the other arm. Carol rebounded up off the floor and grabbed the bat she had brought with her and took a run at Isabella.

Isabella, now completely free, moved out of the way just before the bat would have crashed into her skull. Carol's rage was causing her to make poor decisions, and Isabella took full advantage of Carol's disorientation. As Isabella gained her feet, she threw all her weight and crashed into the much smaller Carol. She quickly wrestled the bat from her, leaving the frail woman defenseless. Then simply pulled her arm back and punched Carol directly in the head, knocking her out completely.

Isabella got herself up and spoke to Carol's unconscious body on the floor, "I told you no one fucks with my family, and you are no exception you stupid bitch."

As Isabella got herself together, she realized she needed to get the women in the motel out and towards the eastern slope. The team should be making there way down the old hiking trail and if Isabella could get the women out, then it would make it a much easier for them to all safely retreat back up to the overlook. Heavily armed men were running around shouting commands and warnings to each other. Isabella managed to leave the room she had just been in with Carol and make her way to another room across the hall undetected.

When she closed the door in the dimly lit room, she was overwhelmed with the scent of filth. She could make out five women huddled together in the corner, looks of sheer terror on their faces. They were dirty, bloody, and dressed in rags. Isabella spoke quickly and directly, "Ladies, we are here to get you out, grab anything you can possibly use as a weapon, and stab, shoot, or beat the shit out of anything that comes at you. Head towards the eastern slope, we have a group that are here to rescue you."

The women nodded and began to grab any blunt items that they could to help their defense. They moved out into the hallways and started heading towards the back door of the motel. Isabella began making her way down into the rooms, finding clusters of women huddled together. All of the women were battered and emaciated looking. No doubt that they were being starved and beaten regularly, on top of other unimaginable atrocities. Isabella couldn't let herself think about it. She gave the same directions to each of the women she found, and they all were making their way down the halls towards the back door of the motel.

Rick and his team had made it down the eastern slope just as the women were making their way out of the back of the hotel. Gunshots were being fired in several different directions and Rick saw some of the women drop as the ensuing bullets hit them. He began to yell at the women to get their attention, and Viv, Maggie, and some of the others left the safety of the wooded area to go and help the women now caught in the open and in the line of fire.

Finally, Isabella was running out of the building following a group of about fifteen young girls. She had managed to find the children and get them out. She spotted Rick and Viv and shouted to them to come help get the girls. Rick and Viv immediately followed her commands and made their way to the children, leading them up towards the slope as they continued to duck random gunshots being fired upon them.

A huge explosion that rocked the town suddenly startled all of them. The sky lit up like daylight and Rick realized they no longer could hear the plane. One of Rick's worse fears had come true, that the plane had been hit and apparently had crashed on the North side of town. Viv screamed, "No No No No, not Daryl."

**Uh oh folks...sorry for the cliff hanger on this one, but it seemed like a good place to split the chapter. **

**Be sure to leave me lots of reviews, they are incredible, especially since I have had so many favorable ones. You all give me joy!**

**So we have a few unanswered questions, where is Damian, is Daryl dead, what about Marty and Joe and their teams? And Carol...what is going to happen with her and all her craziness...**

**See y'all tomorrow-**

**Thanks-  
Missy**

**XXOO**


	54. Chapter 54

**DISCLAIMER-I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD AND I DON'T WANT TO GO TO JAIL FOR STEALING...**

Daryl and Michonne were enjoying the success of being able to pick off the fleeing bikers from the plane. Other than a few random shots that hit close to them, no one had been able to touch them as the plane continued to do fly byes. Daryl had estimated that they had taken down well over half of the men and the ones that remained were scattering in complete panic. They were going win this battle, and he was going to be back with his wife soon.

Suddenly the plane made a loud ripping sound and lurched abruptly towards the left, "Oh fuck, we're going down!" Thomas yelled. Before Daryl could react the plane bounced hard off the ground sending him and Michonne out the open door. Daryl tried to cushion Michonne so that he took the brunt of the landing, but still ended up with both of them slamming into the ground and rolling across the rocky landscape. A few seconds later a massive ball of fire engulfed the area and debris began to rain down on them.

Michonne dragged herself over to Daryl, who now had a piece of the fuselage protruding from his hip.

"Dixon, get up, we got to get out of here," She was trying to get him to his feet.

"Fuck, just once could I not get impaled by something. Son of a bitch it hurts." He moaned.

They both looked over at the burning wreckage and Daryl got himself up and ran over to try and find Thomas. He heard moans and looked over to his left, to see Thomas laying in a crumpled heap about fifty yards from the plane. Him and Michonne ran to Thomas, who was semi conscious and bleeding from a head wound.

"Michonne, we got to get him out of here, we need to get to the tree line where we can take cover." Daryl said.

Michonne nodded and the both of them managed to hold Thomas up between the two of them and drag themselves over to the edge of the woods. Somehow miraculously they had all survived the crash, for now. Daryl's hip was bleeding profusely, and Thomas was completely incoherent, and Michonne had tweaked her knee and ankle from the rough landing.

"Dixon, your wound looks serious. You need to lay still until we can find someone and get you the hell out of here." Michonne told him.

"I'm fine" Daryl responded.

"Your not fine Dixon, you are a stubborn asshole that is going to bleed out if you don't tend to that wound. Now shut up and don't move." Michonne commanded.

She was met with angry grumbling, but Daryl complied. Michonne got up and then limped back to the wreckage. Some of the weapons were scattered on the ground, so she retrieved what she could and made her way back over to Daryl and Thomas.

"Here, you need this, just in case. I'm going to find help." She didn't give him time to respond, and simply left him there alone with Thomas.

The two teams lead by Joe and Marty were now involved in heavy combat with the remnants of Damian's army. The 'family' members from both Charlotte and Richmond proved to be quite effective in taking out anything that moved with fifty yards of the men. Within forty-five minutes from the beginning of the attack there were only about twenty men still attempting to defend the town.

Bill Mocksley's team had completely wiped out the campground and the western side of the town. Unfortunately, it had cost him one of his sons, who had taken a gun shot to the head, killing the man instantly. The only other casualty that the group had taken was Timmy Sanderson, who had sacrificed himself by drawing fire away from Marty's group when they had inadvertently got themselves pinned down upon their initial approach.

As the united groups were taking out the rest of the teams, they were rocked to the core when they heard a huge explosion and realized that the plane had crashed. Marty's heart sank, as he feared the worse had happened to Daryl, Thomas, and Michonne. His initial urge to run to survey the situation had to be repressed until they had completely eliminated the threat.

The sound of the crash and the realization that Daryl was most likely dead just about destroyed Joe. He began firing with a new fervor, and he and his team managed to take out the remaining men in record time. There plan had worked, but at what cost?

It had taken them an hour to completely wipe out the men at Laurel Springs. There still hadn't been in contact with Rick's team, but Marty had assumed that all went as planned. Marty then directed his team to check the bodies and make sure that all of them were shot through the brain to prevent them from rising back up and becoming a threat for the second time.

Marty and Joe then ran towards the direction that they had heard the plane crash. The feared the worse, and when they arrived and saw the mangled wreckage, the stopped dead in their tracks. Rick and Viv shortly joined them after hearing the explosion as well. It was still dark and visibility was difficult but Marty could make out a blood trail on the ground. He began to follow the trail, and was soon greeted by a battered but alive Michonne. Joe immediately ran to her and assisted in helping her stay upright.

"They're alive. Thomas is unconscious and Daryl is hurt pretty bad, I will take you to them. We need to get Daryl back so we can patch him up." Michonne said.

Viv gasped with joy at hearing the news, she suddenly remembered Joe, "Joe, Isabella is with the others, she managed to get most of the women and girls out safely and they were making their way back to the overlook. They should be heading back to the mountain shortly."

Joe grabbed up Viv and swung her around, he could no longer contain his happiness. For all intents and purposes they had won the battle, and managed to survive with minimal casualties. They all then turned and began heading to the tree line to aid their fallen comrades.

It took them about fifteen minutes to get to the spot in the woods where Daryl and Thomas were. Thomas had started to regain consciousness, but was still woozy and slurring his speech. He did manage to let them know that he had clipped a tree, which caused the plane to crash, and jumped from the plane before final impact.

Daryl's wound was bleeding heavily, but he was being his normal stubborn self and downplaying the injury. It was obvious to everyone that he was in pain, but all he would say was that they needed to go back and check for any survivors.

Marty then spoke in his authoritative voice, "Daryl, you aren't going anywhere except back to the compound. Your wound is deep, and you need to get it treated before you bleed out. I will give you this, your one tough son of a bitch, because I don't know how you are still conscious with a six inch piece of steel sticking out of your hip."

Daryl just huffed and looked angry "I've had worse. Now lets go then." He didn't want to discuss it anymore.

Rick and Joe helped get Daryl up and lead him towards the vehicles parked closest. As much as Daryl tried to play off his injury, he could barely move his left side of his body. His clothes were saturated with blood and there was more pooling at his feet.

Viv spoke up, "Stop. We can't carry him and he can't move. He's losing too much blood. Someone go get one of the vehicles and drive it here. I will stay with him and try to staunch the blood flow. I'm not pulling out the metal until we are in a cleaner environment where I can stitch the wound."

Daryl just grunted again. He didn't like the fact that he seemed to holding everyone up. He hated being the weak link and was willing to tough out the injury so that he wouldn't be a burden. Viv knew he was being stubborn, and refused to let his condition worsen.

Thomas and Michonne were strong enough to continue on with the rest of the group, so that just left Viv and Daryl by the side of the road to wait for the others. They each had an automatic rifle for protection and Rick had pulled off his jacket for Viv to use to put pressure around Daryl's wound. Now all they had to do was wait for someone to return with the vehicle, and they could return to the compound.

When they were alone, Daryl finally spoke, "Did Isabella say anything about what happened after she was captured?"

"Yes, she filled me in. Other than a few bruises and a knife wound on her arm, she will be fine. She is a tough cookie."

"Did she get a good look at this Damian? We need to make sure he is amongst the dead." Daryl said.

"Yes, she met him briefly, but it was actually Carol who stabbed her. Apparently she struck some kind of deal with Damian, but I don't know any details. Isabella can tell you more." Viv said.

"What, Carol was here and Isabella saw her, fuck, we gotta find her and make her pay for what she has done." Daryl said trying to get himself up.

"Damnit Daryl, stop! We will handle her if she is even still alive. Isabella knocked her ass out before she got out. Someone has probably found her and taken care of her, so worry about your damn self for once and let others take care of it!" Viv told him sternly, not allowing him to argue back.

Daryl sighed and leaned back. He was feeling light headed and attributed it to the blood loss, but didn't want to admit it to Viv. They finally heard footsteps coming through the woods and assumed it was some members of the teams heading back towards the vehicles. Daryl sat himself back up so as not to appear weak.

Viv was looking curiously and said to Daryl, "We didn't have anyone stationed from that direction, whoever we are hearing come through the woods is not with our group."

As soon as she said it Daryl realized that what they were hearing wasn't a part of anyone's team, it was a herd of walkers. How could they have ignored the fact that all the noise and commotion would attract every walker in a twenty-mile radius. Shit. They now were in a serious situation and Daryl was practically live bait with the bloody wound he now possessed.

"Viv, you listen to me, and listen to me right now, as calmly as you can, get up and make your way down the road. You can't be here near me, I'm a damn magnet with all this blood, and you need to save yourself. They need your medical knowledge, and I won't let you risk yourself for me. Go!" Daryl said.

He knew he was going to die tonight and there wasn't anything he was going to be able to do about it. All the promises he had made to himself to keep his family and community safe, he had kept. He could die knowing he had done everything he possibly could do, and suddenly he was filled with an overwhelming calmness.

As he closed his eyes, he laid back and let himself remember the good times in his life. Anna's beautiful face and smile, the precious smile Hunter gave him before he left, the sense of family he had with Rick and the group, and the love he received from the Martinelli's. And most importantly the acceptance that everyone had offered him and the acceptance he had finally allowed himself to feel. Daryl Dixon would die a happy man.

Daryl couldn't fight any longer. He was too weak and too tired. It was just a minute before the darkness took him and he lost consciousness. He prayed he would die from the blood loss before the dead would rip him to shreds. If he had anymore strength left in his body he would end it himself, but he was just too spent to do it.

But what Daryl Dixon didn't take into consideration was that those that loved him were not willing to let him go so easily. Viv refused to leave his side. She picked up the weapon and was prepared to fight to the end if she had too. Daryl needed to return home to his wife and daughter, and Viv was going to make sure that happened. She got on her knees and prayed for protection, and it seemed that someone up above heard her. As she saw the herd breaking through the woods, she heard the Vehicle with Rick, Marty, and Joe pulling up behind her.

Marty saw the herd approaching Viv and Daryl. He floored the Vehicle to make it to the pair as quickly as possible. Before he even had a chance to stop the vehicle, Rick and Joe were jumping out to grab Viv and Daryl and get them to safety. They were able to get them securely in the vehicle just a few seconds before the rabid walkers began to surround the SUV. Marty pushed the gas pedal down and began running over the walkers that were in the way of the vehicle and miraculously was able to get them out before they were completely surrounded.

They had survived the battle, and they had survived the walkers. Unbeknownst to them though, Carol and Damian had also survived and both wanted revenge for what the group had done to them.

**OK Folks, down to the last few chapters...I think there are going to be only 2 chapters left, possible 3 depending on how the next one goes. I hate that this is ending...but I don't want to make the story too redundant. I am planning on writing another one, because I have enjoyed writing this one so much. I hope you all have enjoyed it as well...And I LOVE all the suggestions everyone has given for this story. **

**If anyone wants to offer any ideas for how to Handle Damian and Carol in the next chapter, I am all ears...**

**Please Review after you read...**

**And also feel free to share with friends.**

**Love Ya'll...**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


	55. Chapter 55

**Hey Folks...I have had several people interested in me writing a sequel to this story. So, if there is enough interest, I will do so, I have come up with an idea that would allow the story to continue, but I only want to do so if people are interested. **

**FYI-I will be writing another story that is Daryl centric after this, but then I would continue on with a Sequel to "When life gives you lemons"...**

**So let me know before I write the next chapter...**

**Thanks-**

**Missy**


	56. Chapter 56

**I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD OR ANY OF IT'S AWESOME CHARACTERS!**

After things were settled down in Laurel Springs, everyone slowly returned the compound. It had been decided before hand that the Martinelli home would be the gathering spot after the battle ceased. It would be easier to assess the final outcome and any casualties that were suffered with everyone congregating in one place.

Marty, Joe, Viv, Rick, and Daryl were the last to arrive. Michonne and Thomas had rode back up the mountain with Antonio and had given a heads up to Daryl's condition. Anna became completely focused on preparing one of the guestrooms for Viv so that she could treat Daryl's wounds, and she directed Beth, Carl, and Carrie to do the same with another of the guestrooms in case anyone else would need medical treatment.

They had only managed to lose two individuals of their own, yet they had taken out over one hundred and twenty men, and successfully freed over forty women and children. Unfortunately, they did lose close to twenty women while helping them flee from the motel. Sasha, Glenn, Maggie, and Tyrese had taken it upon themselves to organize safe locations for each of the women and young girls.

Buffy Sanderson was beside herself with grief after losing her husband Timmy. Isabella had attempted to console her, but Buffy continued to be inconsolable. Anna could relate to the intense pain Buffy was feeling after the loss of her husband John less than a year ago. Timmy and Anna had been friends in high school, and she knew that Timmy adored his wife. It broke her heart knowing what Buffy was currently going through.

Rick, Daryl, and Anna's family finally arrived. Anna was not prepared for Daryl's current condition. He wasn't just covered in blood, he was completely saturated in it, and she knew that this was his blood, not the blood of someone or something else. There was a good size chunk of metal protruding from his hip, and Viv was still applying pressure attempting to staunch the flow of blood. He was white as a ghost and mumbling incoherently. She faintly heard him whisper the words, "ready to die" and panicked.

She pulled his hand into hers and spoke in his ear "Damnit Daryl you aren't giving up on me. You promised you would be done with this Rambo shit, and I'm not letting you go back on your word. You don't get to check out just yet, we have a daughter to raise and she is already in love with you."

Daryl murmured back, "Tell Hunter…I love her…can't keep doing this…too damn tired…love you…"

"STOP IT DAMNIT…. YOU AREN'T GIVING UP…. Viv is going to patch you up and you are gonna get some fucking sleep. Fight for me…" Her words must have registered because she felt him squeezing her hand.

She turned to her aunt, "Viv, what do you need me to do?"

"We need to get him stripped and cleaned. Get some scissors and cut off his pants. I'll give you some privacy." She said

"Is he going to die?" Anna asked, scared for the answer.

"No, Joe is going to give him some blood, we will patch him up and he will be fine. He just hurts badly and he is exhausted. He's relatively stable, but his mind is defeating him right now. Don't you worry, we aren't gonna let him give up" Viv reassured her.

Viv left the room and Anna went to work getting Daryl out of his clothes and washed up. He was moaning, and it was killing her to see how much pain he was in. The adrenaline rush was gone, and now he was fully aware of every movement his body was being put through and the fact that he had a sharp piece of metal hanging agonizingly out of his hip. The burns, the knife wound, the arrow wound, and the broken wrist all paled in comparison to what he was feeling now.

Anna cut his pants and boxers off of him, and then scrubbed him up with a warm cloth and a bucket of water. He wasn't saying much, but his facial expressions were displaying the amount of pain he was in, "I know it hurts baby, but I have to get you scrubbed up clean so Viv can get this piece of metal out. We don't want to risk infection."

He nodded and whispered, "I know, just do what has to be done I trust you."

"Well at least you aren't talking about dying right now. I love you Daryl. We will get through this." She said sweetly to him.

She finally had managed to get him naked and clean. She covered him up with a sheet so that he could have some modesty. She knew Daryl well enough to know he didn't like being on display and that he was self-conscious about his various scars. They told a story of pain and hate, and it wasn't something he would ever be comfortable sharing with anyone besides her.

Anna went out of the room and found Viv and Joe. "He's ready. Viv I don't think I have ever seen him in so much pain, can we give him something?"

"No, absolutely not. He needs a transfusion, and I'm going to get two pints of blood from Joe, after that I will check his vitals, and if they are strong enough, I will give him something then. But we have to get the metal out of the hip first and get him stitched up. Maggie has some liquid antibiotics that she is retrieving so that we can start treating an infection. I think he already has one starting since the shrapnel has been embedded in his hip for a couple of hours already. When I pull it out, he is going to start bleeding again and I need to stop it immediately."

"So he is going to be without any type of pain meds while you remove the protrusion?" Anna asked, almost in shock.

"I have no choice, I can't risk his blood pressure dropping any lower. We are trying to avoid Hypovolemia, which could be fatal. As soon as Maggie returns we will put him on a Saline drip and administer the antibiotics, and that should help. I'm sorry honey, but this is going to be rough on him."

Anna nodded with tears in her eyes, wishing she could take the pain from him. More pain was not what Daryl needed. She prayed that he would pass out before the pain became overwhelming, but knew he would fight to stay coherent because he was too stubborn to relinquish control of his body.

Maggie showed up within fifteen minutes with all the much-needed supplies that she had brought with her from the prison. "Viv, is there anything I can do to help?" She asked.

"Pray, that's all we can do right now. Is Rick here?" Viv asked.

"Yeah, he's out on the porch with Marty and Thomas, you want me to get him?" She inquired.

"Sure, even better, get them all, we need to hold Daryl down so he doesn't move while I remove the shrapnel. I'm worried about movement causing me to nick an artery." Viv told her.

Maggie went and retrieved the men. They all looked weary and in need of sleep. But how could you just go to sleep after fighting a battle and defeating an entire town? This New World was surreal and Maggie wondered how much more fighting they would have to endure before things became normal again, if ever.

Everyone assembled into the room. Daryl was apprehensive about the amount of people that were surrounding him. Anna opted to sit up behind him where she could talk him through the procedure. She took his right hand into hers and let Viv know she was ready. Viv spoke to Daryl,

"Daryl, I'm not going to lie to you, this is going to be an almost unbearable pain. You can yell all you want, but you can't move. I've got Rick, Marty, and Thomas here to help hold you still. Please do not fight them. As soon as we are done, I will get everyone to leave. Do you understand me?"

Daryl nodded and quietly said, "Yes, just do it quick."

"I will be as quick as I can honey. I love you and you will be fine after this. We just got to get through this hurdle and then we will let you sleep."

Daryl simply closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "I'm ready."

Anna held tightly onto his hand while the other men held him down. Viv reached down to remove the metal. She had decided to get Maggie to assist her while she pulled out the shrapnel. Viv could feel the metal begin to move and Daryl yelled out in agony, tears pouring down his face from the extreme pain he was experiencing. Anna spoke to him soothingly, "I know baby, just please don't move, she's going as fast as she can."

As Viv pulled, she realized that the end of the metal had slightly embedded itself into his Ilium, which was one of the reasons he was in so much pain. Maggie kept applying direct pressure as Viv pulled the metal out slowly, trying to avoid as much tissue and muscle damage as possible.

Daryl's cries were deafening, his breathing was labored, and the sounds he was making were almost primal. Anna had never experienced anything so gut wrenching in her life. "Baby, if I could take away the pain for you I would. I love you so much, just a little bit more, I promise"

Finally Viv pulled the bloody metal completely from his hip. As expected, the blood flow increased and Maggie rapidly began applying direct pressure. Viv immediately began cleaning the wound and trying to remove the infection that was forming in the incision. Daryl's chest was rapidly rising and falling as he fought with all his strength to keep himself from writhing in pain.

As Viv worked to get the wound clean, Maggie retrieved the heavy-duty stitches and began stitching the torn flesh as Viv instructed. It had been thirty absolutely horrendous minutes, but they managed to complete the procedure with relative ease. Somehow, Daryl had stayed conscious through everything much to Anna's chagrin. She had prayed he would pass out, but as she suspected, he refused to let his body take over.

Rick came over to Daryl and took his hand, "I'm so sorry this happened to you bro, I'm gonna leave you now so you can get some rest and Viv can finish up, OK."

Daryl weakly spoke, "Thank you. It means a lot to me."

Rick smiled and gently patted him on the shoulder as he walked out of the room with Marty and Thomas. Anna took a cold cloth and began wiping the sweat from his face and upper body. Viv had hooked up the IV to his hand, and was now starting the transfusion between Joe and Daryl.

After another hour the transfusion was complete and Viv was comfortable with Daryl's vital statistics. His blood pressure was a little lower than she would have liked, so she opted not to administer any pain medications, but some of his color was returning and he seemed to be resting somewhat comfortably.

Finally Anna and Daryl were alone. Daryl was still unable to relax enough to go to sleep and he asked Anna to bring Hunter so he could see his little girl. "Daryl are you sure? You shouldn't exert yourself right now."

"I just wanna see my little girl and her beautiful smile. It will help me feel better, I know it will." He told her with nothing but the deepest sincerity.

Anna went and retrieved Hunter and brought her to Daryl. As if on cue, the little girl smiled brightly as she saw Daryl's blue eyes. Anna laid Hunter down beside Daryl, and within minutes they were both sound asleep.

The next few days were a blur. Daryl had developed an infection, so someone was continually awaking him to come in and clean his wound. Fortunately, the antibiotics helped keep the infection from spreading or worsening.

Daryl was unable to do much of anything but sleep and eat. He would sit up for short periods of time and talk to Anna, and insisted that Hunter stay close by him. The little girl gave the man comfort, and Anna wasn't going to deny Daryl that little bit of Joy in his life right now.

Viv continued to monitor Daryl each day. He had attempted to get up and walk on the fourth day, and it didn't go as well as everyone had liked. The damage in his hip was severe enough that Daryl would probably have a limp on the left side of his body for the rest of his life. He struggled to stay upright, and it took him fifteen minutes to make it the bathroom, which was less than ten feet from his bed. His frustration was obvious, and Viv had promised that she would research her medical books to find out if there were some physical therapy techniques she could use that might help with the strengthening of the damaged muscles.

To everyone's surprise, Daryl was actually a good patient this time. He did as he was told, and didn't try to push his recovery faster than needed. Anna guessed that he was just plain worn out from everything he had been through for the past few months. She finally asked, "Why aren't you fighting to get out of bed like you normally do?"

"Because there are people here I trust to take care of you. For the first time in a long while, I just want to get better and let other people worry about what needs to be done. I end up hurting you and Hunter when I try to save the world alone and I can't do it anymore." He said.

"Bout time you realized it Dixon. Those are the sexiest words you have ever spoken to me." She joked.

"Good, I'll remember that the next time I've got you naked and up under me." He laughed.

"There you go with the sweet talk again baby. I'm just glad you are taking this seriously. We will get you up and out hunting in no time. I have faith that everything is finally going to be fine." She said.

"Me too baby girl, it feels good to finally be able to relax." Daryl told her.

He continued to work on his recovery for the next two weeks, doing everything that Viv asked him too. He could finally walk across the house and out to the front porch to enjoy the occasional cigarette with Joe, or talk about plans to rebuild and establish the community with the other men. They all had hope for the first time since the outbreak began. This would be a new beginning for all of them.

Unfortunately, they were all unaware that the two people who wanted their dream to end were watching them. The events that were about to unfold would shake their security to the core and destroy what little happiness they were experiencing.

**OK folks...one more chapter after this one, and then I am writing another story...HOWEVER...there will be a sequel to this one. I have been working on it in my crazy brain, and I think I have a decent premise to build it on. I hope you guys will read the next story I write. Of course, it will be Daryl Centric, and it will be Pre-Zombie apocalypse and take us up to the Zombie apocalypse. And full of Angst, as it is Daryl Dixon...**

**Please review these last two chapters, and if you have any suggestions for the sequel, let me know...I want to try to keep everything as realistic as possible (well as realistic in an imaginary world as possible)...So if you have any ideas for pairings, rivalries, deaths, etc...let me know...**

**Sorry I missed last night's update...but work is kicking my ass right now...I'm an accountant, and it's year end...enough said..LOL...**

**Thanks for all your support...I truly mean it and can never thank you guys enough!**

**Cheers-**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


	57. Chapter 57

**DISCLAIMER-I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD OR ANY OF ITS BEAUTIFUL CHARACTERS!**

******WARNING**** EXTREME VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN THIS CHAPTER-NO RAPE, BUT BRUTAL BEATINGS**

Anna woke to Daryl limping over to Hunter's crib to approach his daughter. Since returning from Laurel Springs Daryl had become inseparable from his daughter. Something about the child soothed him like no one else had been able too since his injury. Daryl had been different, but not in a bad way. For the first time since Anna had known him, he was completely content.

She smiled as he leaned over and picked up the baby. "Yeah sweetheart, you're my sweet little baby girl and one day I am going to build you a castle and a swing set, and anything you want. I love you so much princess." He said to the little girl in the most tender of voices.

Anna just observed, not wanting to spoil the moment. She was thankful that she had her husband with her, in one piece and healing up. It had been almost a month since that night he returned from Laurel Springs talking of death and giving up on life. Now he spoke of the future and all of the things he wanted to do for Hunter, for her, and that they could do as a family. Disney World was obviously out of the question, but there were other things they could do safely together.

"So you know Mr. Dixon, a girl could get jealous at you speaking sweet nothings to a younger woman like that" She joked with him.

"Well when the other woman is as beautiful as her mother, what do you expect?" He quipped back.

"Now how am I gonna be mad with that answer?" She said moving over so him and Hunter could get back in bed.

It was now a cold February morning and the sky looked like it could snow at any moment. Tomorrow Daryl and Anna would permanently return to the home that would now be theirs, the house that Gus had built.

"So what is on your agenda today Mrs. Dixon?" Daryl asked.

"Maggie and Beth are going to meet me up at the house with Hunter, and we are going to make sure everything is clean and stocked up. I want everything perfect for you when we move back in." She told him.

"The house could be falling down and empty and it would be perfect for me as long as I got my girls" he told her. She nuzzled into him and kissed him gently on his sweet lips.

"I don't think I could be happier. Finally we don't have to worry about someone coming in and taking what is ours" She told him.

He pulled her in tight and wrapped his arms around her and Hunter. They remained like that until finally Anna had to get up and get ready to meet the Greene girls up at the house.

Anna got dressed, ate breakfast, and then loaded Hunter into the truck to go up the mountain to the house. She was excited to finally be moving back in where her and Daryl could have some privacy. The groups from Richmond and Charlotte had returned, with the exception of Antonio, who had opted to stay and help with rebuilding the communities in the area. Anna really liked Antonio, and she suspected someone else in the group did too, One lady who went by the name of Sasha.

Maggie and Beth were already up at the house waiting on Anna as she pulled up in the truck, "Sorry I'm late ladies, we had a little family bonding time this morning and I didn't want to leave Daryl."

Maggie just giggled, "Uh huh…Bonding, I'm sure."

"No Maggie, it isn't like that. He's still out of commission with is injury, though I can't wait for him to get back to where he can move normally. I know he is still hurting, but he would never admit it." She said.

"Daryl is one tough son of a bitch. I remember when he was impaled with a bolt from his crossbow, and then he yanked the thing straight out to kill a Walker that was coming at him. I adore Glen, but he could take some clues from Daryl on being a Man's man." Maggie joked.

"Shoot" Beth said.

"What is it honey." Anna asked.

"I made some potpourri to freshen the house up and I left it out in our truck. I'll be right back we can put it in your room so it smells nice and clean." Beth said as she headed down around the back of the house where she had parked the truck her and Maggie had driven.

Beth was leaning down in the seat when she heard a scream. She ducked down low enough in the floorboard of the truck so she could see out the window without someone seeing her. She caught a glimpse of Maggie, Anna, and Hunter being dragged off into the woods and recognized one of the individuals pointing a gun at Anna. It was Carol. There were three other men, one of which was a very tall scarred greasy looking man. She wasn't sure who the men were, but suspected they were remnants of survivors from Laurel Springs. She knew she needed to go and get help so she waited ten minutes, and then started the truck and headed off towards the Martinelli house.

Anna, Maggie, and the baby were being dragged roughly down a steep incline that led through the woods towards the remains of McGrady. Maggie started to speak, "Carol, what is going on, why did you come back? You know you aren't welcome here. If Daryl finds you and realizes you have us, you are as good as dead."

"Shut the fuck up bitch" the man said as he smacked Maggie in the face cutting her cheek.

Anna winced seeing what the man had done to Maggie. Carol spoke, "Damian, take it easy, we have plenty of time for that. These two whores are going to wish they had killed me before this day is up."

Anna pleaded, "Carol, if Daryl ever meant anything to you then you realize you can't do this to him. He will kill you if he finds you, and I won't be able to stop him."

"Shut up you stupid whore" Damian said. His other two minions were roughly handling her and Maggie, and Anna was trying hard to keep Hunter protected from the violent men.

Damian spoke again, "We know Daryl is a gimp now. He can barely walk across the yard with his fucked up hip. He ain't a threat to me or anyone else. Hell my Grandma could take him out."

Carol then added, "You fucking ruined him Anna. You took a man and made him weak. I made him strong, and you destroyed everything I had done for him. He deserves what happened to him, and I have every intention of making him hurt as much as he made me hurt."

Maggie and Anna were tied up and Hunter was taken away. Anna fought with everything she had to keep her baby, but was met with a violent beating. Both women had been beaten badly and were covered in blood as Damian and Carol took turns punching, kicking, and verbally attacking them, venting all their frustrations and embarrassment at the failures they had suffered at the hands of their family.

Beth made it the Martinelli house and was screaming at the gate so someone would let her in. The gate opened and she burst into the house telling them everything she had witnessed. Marty immediately grabbed his gun and headed out the door, Joe following closely behind him.

Marty then shouted to Beth, "Beth hurry and go get Rick and Glenn, we need them. Tell them to meet at Daryl and Anna's house and head down the eastside of the mountain and look for any tracks they might find. We are heading west." Beth jumped in the truck and took off to find the other men.

"Hey, I'm going too." Both men turned to see Daryl limping down the steps.

"Daryl you can't, you won't make it three hundred feet on that hip." Joe said.

"I protect what's mine, and I WILL not let anyone take my wife and baby girl. The mother fuckers are as good as dead." His voice was menacing and his eyes were on fire, there was no mistake that Daryl wasn't backing down from his decision.

Marty opted to take the Gator out so that they could reduce the actual amount of walking that Daryl would have to do. They drove up to Daryl and Anna's home, and then headed into the woods to track. All three men were heavily armed, and Daryl would have them stop regularly so he could follow the sloppy trail the men had left behind.

The trail led to McGrady, and Marty maneuvered the Gator across the creek and back up the embankment. They continued to follow the trail until they came to an old house. Daryl saw the house and realized that he had been there before. It was the home that Sheila and Ricky Liles had once occupied, and where Him and Anna had almost died at the hands of Anna's brother Marco. Life had a funny way of coming full circle. The last time he had been here, Gus had saved their lives, a move that would eventually cost him his own life.

Marty didn't pull up close enough to where they could be detected by the individuals inside. Daryl struggled to get down out of the Gator, refusing to allow Joe or Marty to help him. He winced silently in pain, but pushed it down so he could focus on determining what was going on in the house. What Daryl saw sickened him to the core.

Maggie was lying on the floor still attached to the chair she was tied too. She was covered in blood and more blood was pooling on the floor around her. Anna's face was beaten, both eyes were swollen shut and blood was dripping from her mouth. Her hands were bound behind her back and her shirt had been ripped, exposing deep bruising on her ribs and stomach. Daryl fought to keep himself from vomiting. Then he heard it, Hunter's cries. He looked slightly to the left and saw Carol bouncing the baby as Hunter screamed in terror at her unfamiliar surroundings.

Daryl signaled to Marty and Joe that they would storm the home on the count of three…One, two, and three and then they burst into the dilapidated house. Immediately Joe and Marty killed the two unnamed henchmen that accompanied Damian. Damian used one of the men as a shield and managed to avoid taking a direct gunshot, but he was grazed by Daryl's shot, but not before he managed to jump out an open window and escape.

That left Carol, who now had a knife up to Hunter's throat. Daryl tried to quickly assess the situation. He didn't get a chance to finish, before Carol spoke, "Daryl you took EVERYTHING from me and now I am going to take EVERYTHING from you." She raised the knife to slit the child's throat.

A barely conscious Anna fought with the last breath she had in her body and managed to kick her legs to the point she was able to reach and cause Carol to lose her footing. It was just enough for Daryl to rush Carol and grab the baby before she could be injured by the mad woman. Marty and Joe quickly rushed to Anna and Maggie and untied them. Maggie was practically lifeless, and Anna wasn't in much better shape.

Daryl raised his gun and looked directly in Carol's eyes, "Any last words bitch?" The anger in his voice was biting, but Anna could see that his hands were shaking. She could barely focus, but she wasn't going to let Daryl struggle with the memory of killing one of his first true friends he had. She reached into Marty's holster and pulled out the gun and shot Carol straight through the head. Carol's body dropped into a heap on the floor and Daryl rushed to Anna as she collapsed into a bloody heap.

Joe felt for Anna's pulse and shook his head; "I can't find a pulse."

Daryl felt panic and began CPR on her immediately, but to no avail, he still couldn't feel any sign of life in her battered body. Tears were streaming down his face as he felt her slip away from him. Marty was working on Maggie and Joe had Hunter in his arms. The little girl crying for the comfort of her parents.

Daryl had lost the one truly good thing in his life. He had lost his precious Anna all because Carol couldn't handle his rejection. He was overwhelmed with guilt again, a feeling he had been all too familiar with for so long in his life. He was sobbing holding his wife's body in his arms. He didn't know how he was going to live without her, but knew he couldn't give up on life, he had to stay strong so he could continue to raise their daughter. He had promised Anna he would always protect Hunter, but he never dreamed it would be without her by his side.

It would be just a matter of time before she woke again as one of the risen dead. He couldn't bear the thought of those lifeless cold gray eyes staring at him. He raised his gun and placed it to her temple, but he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. He knew he had too, she wouldn't want to return as one of those monsters. He felt her body twitch and he raised the gun to end it, her eyes slowly began to open. With his finger on the trigger he looked at her one last time, only he realized he was looking into HER eyes, her big beautiful brown eyes, not cold dead gray eyes.

He grabbed her wrist and could feel her pulse again. A miracle had happened and she had returned to him. She whispered weakly, "Hey, why do you look so sad, I'm still here baby. I'm never going to leave you"

Daryl's body shook as he was overtaken by emotion. God had given him another chance. He had given up and had come so close to ending her life, but she fought to come back to him. She didn't give up when he had. He cradled her damaged body in his arms, "I love you Anna, I always have and I always will."

**Well this is the last chapter folks. Please leave me a Final Review and let me know how you would grade this story. I am taking a break on this story, already working on the next one. I should have the first chapter or two up this weekend. **

**Thanks to each and everyone of you for reading and giving me a chance with this story. There will be a sequel and it will be called "The fruit of their labor"...same characters, but there will be a two year time jump. **

**When I began this story, I was originally writing it with the intention of Anna remaining at the prison, but this one grew a life of it's own, and morphed into the story you just read. It is very relaxing to write fiction like this and I encourage anyone who has ever thought about writing to go ahead and do so. There is no right or wrong, its your gift to all the people who enjoy fan fiction.**

**Always feel free to PM me or drop me a note. I really truly hope you will continue to follow my other stories as I venture off onto another universe.**

**Take care and Love to each and every one of you!**

**Missy**

**XXOO**


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